THOUSANDS of people across Worcestershire have signed a footballer’s petition against food hunger.

More than 4,000 in Worcester, Mid Worcestershire and West Worcestershire have added their signatures to Manchester Utd and England striker Marcus Rashford’s calls to end child food poverty in Britain.

In total, 4,261 people have signed the petition in South Worcestershire, out of more than 1 million who have signed as of October 29.

In Worcester, 1,643 people have signed, meanwhile 1,410 people in West Worcestershire and 1,208 people in Mid Worcestershire have signed the petition, which calls on the government to implement three recommendations from the National Food Strategy to expand access to free school meals, provide meals and activities during holidays to stop holiday hunger and increase the value of and expand the Healthy Start Scheme.

READ MORE: County organisations join forces to support food poverty campaign

The campaign by the 22 year-old footballer led to a Labour Party motion in the commons last week, which was voted down by the government.

Worcestershire MPs including Worcester’s Robin Walker, West Worcestershire’s Harriett Baldwin and Mid Worcestershire’s Nigel Huddleston all voted against the motion, with Mr Walker calling it a “classic opposition trick”.

He said it was designed as a motion no government MP could support, saying: “You put forward a motion you know criticises the government and suggests something positive to do, and when the government votes against you attack them.

"They then use it to suggest Tory MPs don’t want children to eat. We have actually done more than any government in history to provide not only free schools meals but activities during the summer holidays.

READ MORE: Conservative MPs criticised after voting down Labour's food poverty amendment

"We voted against because we disagreed with the criticism inherent in the motion.”

Since the vote, many organisations across Worcestershire joined forces to provide free food during the half term break.

In Worcester, Ma Baker in Warndon provided a free pastry or filled roll to any children going hungry, while a number of Fish and Chip shops in the city, including Lyppards Fryer, offered similar deals.

In Malvern, Leigh and Bransford Badgers Football Club teamed up with Malvern Hills Foodbank to set up a food donation point to help those in need.

Have you signed the Marcus Rashford petition? To see how many people have voted, go to petitionmap.unboxedconsulting.com/