THE number of people using foodbanks has reached a record one million after an increase in workers on low pay having to seek emergency help for food, new figures have revealed.

The Trussell Trust said almost 400,000 children were among those receiving at least three days of supplies from the charity's 445 foodbanks across the UK in the past year.

Birkenhead was chosen as a pilot scheme for a major drive to "end hunger in Britain" spearheaded by the town's Labour veteran Frank Field.

But although his "Feeding Britain" fightback received cross-party support when it was launched in November, the vast majority of its recommendations have yet to be introduced. 

Mr Field said: “As our cross-party inquiry found there are simply too many people in this country who are struggling to afford food for themselves and their families.

“If the next government is looking for a comprehensive strategy with which it can begin reducing the need for food banks in this country, then it need look no further than our report ‘Feeding Britain.’

“We proposed 77 reforms which, if implemented in full, would abolish hunger as we know it today.

“Only a third of our recommendations have been taken up since December."

He added: “Failure to embrace our proposals would, we fear, result in the queues for food banks growing longer in the next parliament, regardless of who wins the election."

The Trussell Trust, which launched its first foodbank in Salisbury in 2000, said 1,084,604 people received supplies in the last financial year, an increase of 19% over the previous 12 months.

Problems with benefits were the main reason people visited foodbanks, but the Trust said there had been an increase in those on low incomes.

Foodbank managers reported dealing with people struggling with insecure work, low pay and high living costs.

Trussell Trust UK foodbank director Adrian Curtis said: " Despite welcome signs of economic recovery, hunger continues to affect significant numbers of men, women and children in the UK today.

"It's difficult to be sure of the full extent of the problem as Trussell Trust figures don't include people who are helped by other food charities or those who feel too ashamed to seek help.

"Trussell Trust foodbanks are increasingly hosting additional services like debt counselling and welfare advice at our foodbanks, which is helping more people out of crisis."

The Archbishop of Canterbury threw his weight behind "Feeding Britain" and asked the Government for £100,000 to kick-start the group, which is designed to eliminate hunger by 2020.

Archbishop Justin Welby said it was ''shocking'' to see thousands of people in a wealthy country reduced to seeking food handouts.

The cross-party hunger report criticised supermarkets for destroying surplus food instead of donating it to charities and ''rip-off'' utility companies for charging premium rates to poorer customers.

Last year the public donated 10,280 tonnes of food to foodbanks.