MORE than 30,000 York residents have donated unwanted items online to help battle the cost-of-living crisis, new research shows.

The study, compiled by IVA provider Creditfix, analysed Facebook group membership data to find how many people were recycling and gifting unwanted items, otherwise known as 'Freecycling', in the biggest cities and towns in the UK.

York came 12th in the list of the top freecycle hotspots in the UK, with 30,900 people turning to Facebook groups to donate, swap and share goods such as beds, sofas and even musical instruments.

Google searches for 'free stuff York' have also seen a 53 per cent surge since September 2021.

Manchester topped the rankings, with 84,600 residents looking for ways to gift items to the community, with London in second and Nottingham completing the top three.

Layla Johnson, regional manager at Creditfix said: “It’s heart-warming to see that even in the toughest of times, York residents are putting their best foot forward and helping others where they can.

“Through communities like these, people are able to reduce waste on items they don’t want or need.

“The cost of living crisis is hitting households hard right across the country, but groups like these can ease the burden for some when needed.”