Chocoholics need no longer feel guilty about scoffing their favourite food during Lent.

An Ilkley church is challenging them to eat all the chocolate they like during the period, traditionally associated with abstinence.

But there is one condition - the chocolate should come from a source which ensures the producer gets a fair price for it. Rosie Tudge, of All Saints Parish Church, and around 40 volunteers, will be running a stall promoting chocolate, coffee, tea and similar Fair Trade items at Booths supermarket next Friday and Saturday.

She explained: "National Fair Trade Fortnight asked local churches to contact their most 'fair trade-minded' supermarket. Booths in Ilkley was identified as selling the largest selection of these products and has been most enthusiastic about All Saints Church manning the stall. They stock a lot of Fair Trade items and are most knowledgeable about them.

"Lent is seen as a time of penance. We decided that to make people think about the issue, it would be great to ask them to take up chocolate. Choose a chocolate that has the Fair Trade mark and eat your way through those 40 days knowing that you are doing a company that trades ethically a lot of good."

Mrs Tudge said that such trading cut out the middle man, ensuring more of the purchase price was paid to the grower. "This provides a subsistence wage, rather than one which means the whole family has to work on the crop to survive," she added.

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