NewsGram Staff Writer

London: The Sikh community in Northampton town in Britain is offering free hot meals to the homeless and the poor every Sunday, a report of the Northampton Chronicle said.

A Sikh leader, Amarjit Atwal, was quoted as saying that the numbers queuing up for the free food had been growing each week.

There were about 140 people over the last two weeks who came to eat, he said.

"Last November we were having 20 people but more are coming all the time now," Atwal said.

"I would say about two-thirds are homeless, living in doorways with all their belongings. Some prefer to live like that. But most of the rest are vulnerable people … who cannot always afford hot meals.

"There are some people who tell us they have not had a hot meal for three days," he said.

"I think they come to us because they rely on services that are only there during the week. They need more support at weekends."

Atwal noted that many of those he spoke to were educated but problems like benefit cuts and wrong decisions cost them their jobs, homes and families, forcing them into poverty.

The Sikh community does not take cash donations but accepts clothes and other useful material.

(With inputs from IANS)