RAZOR blades and soiled cat litter have been found in with goods donated to a food bank.

A box of sage and onion stuffing containing disposable razor blades and a coffee jar filled with soiled cat litter, a butter container filled with tea bags and kitchen waste were discovered by volunteers over the last few days in a food drop-off point for Burgess Hill Community Food Bank.

Father Kevin O’Brien, chairman of the food bank, said: “It’s impossible to imagine what someone thought they might achieve by doing this.

“It’s not only malevolent but pointless as there’s no way we would let these items go out to people.

“All items are hand-checked before being loaded onto transport and taken to a depot for sorting.

“The razor blades are the most disturbing. The other items present a nuisance but with this item there’s a criminal element – there’s intent to wound.”

Sussex Police have been informed and the items have been bagged up in case they are needed as evidence.

Father O’Brien said: “On a national level there’s been some negative things said about food banks - that they give to the undeserving poor and so forth.

“But a lot of the people we provide for have jobsbut need to pay the mortgage and bills and what has to go is food.

“Whoever did this ought to reflect that the people who need this help in the future may include their brother or their sister. They might need it themselves.”

Bags of food, which are given out at the Spire Cafe at St John's Church, are each intended to feed a family for three days.

Donations are checked at least three times for products that are out of date or require cold storage and all volunteers have been given food hygiene training.

The food bank was set up in June 2013 and provides food to about 150 people per quarter.

For details see www.burgesshillfoodbank.org.uk.