THE number of adults and children being provided with emergency food in Lancashire has contributed to a 238 per cent rise across the North West.

An increase from 41,013 people between 2012-2013, 138,644 people in the North West received three days’ emergency food from Trussell Trust foodbanks during this financial year.

In Lancashire, 7,973 adults and 4,751 children received the emergency food from the organisation that has food banks in Blackburn and the Ribble Valley.

More than 900,000 people received the food nationwide during the last 12 months. However, the number of foodbanks being established in the region has dropped from 22 to 11 since last year.

Among the foodbanks that have been established this year are bases in Longridge and Clitheroe.

Last year, the Lancashire Telegraph launched a campaign calling on people to donate both food and money to foodbanks to ensure the region’s most deprived children don’t go hungry.

The campaign was launched after it was revealed that some children in Blackburn were malnourished.

The Trussell Trust’s chairman, Chris Mould, said: “In the last year we’ve seen things get worse rather than better for many people on low incomes.

“It’s been extremely tough for a lot of people, with parents not eating properly in order to feed their children and more people than ever experiencing seemingly unfair and harsh benefits sanctions.

“Unless there is determined policy action to ensure that the benefits of national economic recovery reach people on low incomes we won’t see life get better for the poorest anytime soon.

“A more thoughtful approach to the administration of the benefits regime and sanctions in particular, increasing the minimum wage, introducing the living wage and looking at other measures such as social tariffs for essentials like energy would help address the problem of UK hunger.”