Members of agricultural purchasing group Anglia Farmers (AF) have donated more than £4,500 in just 24 hours to help pay for deliveries of forage to flood-hit farmers in the south west.

An appeal was issued to AF members yesterday (Tuesday 11) afternoon asking for donations towards a delivery of a load of fodder beet to Sedgemoor Livestock Market to help farmers in Somerset.

Within hours the amount needed for a single load was exceeded, and now more than £4,500 has been donated.

The donations will be used to fund up to three loads of fodder beet, one load of sugar beet pulp pellets and four loads of straw.

A number of AF members and suppliers have generously offered haulage to deliver the forage, including Jonny Wyatt of Pearn Wyatt & Son, Foulgers, Clive Sansom, Belchamp Farm Services and Mautby Farms.

A further two loads of fodder beet have also been donated by AF members Graham Shingfield, of E F Shingfield in Hingham and Mr Chapman of Chapman and Sons, Caston.

Subsidiary group AF Biomass Limited will also use its lorry to deliver straw.