Retail outlets and a warehouse will close by September

A Scots international aid charity has closed all of its shops due to rising costs.

Mary’s Meals, which some of the world’s poorest children rely on for food, said a decline of income and rising operating costs had led it to make the 'difficult decision' to close the stores.

Six shops and a warehouse will close by September as they are no longer financially viable the charity said.

Founded in 2002, Mary’s Meals currently serves 2.4 million children with nutritious food every day.

The charity said it is facing a 20% rise in operating costs.

executive director Daniel Adams said: "In recent years there has been a steady decline of income from our shops – while the cost of operating them has continued to increase. This means that sadly the shops are no longer a viable source of income.

We are so grateful for the dedication of our shop and warehouse staff and volunteers to growing Mary’s Meals within their local communities. Our expectation is that the shops will stay open until the end of September, and we will keep the local communities updated as our plans progress.

Shops will close in Duke Street Glasgow as well as in Troon, Lochgilphead, Inverkeithing, Dunblane and Oban.

The charity was founded in 2002 by brothers Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow and his brother Fergus. When Magnus visited Malawi during a famine and met a mother dying from Aids, he was inspired to bring much-needed food to the communities who needed it.

Adams added: “We hope people in these communities will continue to support us in any way they can – their generosity is helping to feed desperately hungry children in the world’s poorest countries and, at a time when we are responding to the devastating earthquake in Syria, it has never been more needed.