British charity to supply Christmas dinner to 60,000

"The increasing numbers of people turning to foodbanks should be a wake-up call to the nation, but there has been no policy response and the situation is getting worse. The level of food poverty in the UK is not acceptable. It's scandalous and it is causing deep distress to thousands of people," he said.

Curtis said a 20-percent rise in food prices over the past few years, changes to the British benefit system, and low wages are driving increasing numbers to food banks.

"The stories our food bank workers hear day after day are heartbreaking," he said. "Christmas is a stressful and worrying time for many families, but when there is little money and no food it is much worse. The good news is the great British public are responding magnificently with their donations of food."

"The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (another UK charity looking at social issues) has just produced figures showing 50 percent of British working households are now living in poverty. More health professionals are telling us cases of malnutrition have risen by 100 percent in some areas of the UK," added Curtis.

"Another charity has discovered one-in five mums go without meals to ensure their children have food in their mouths. Some parents have even resorted to gift wrapping old toys to ensure their children at least have something to unwrap on Christmas Day. We hope our help will at least bring some Christmas cheer to families on Christmas morning," he said.

The Trussell Trust, based in Salisbury in southern England, has so far gathered 150,000 signatures on a petition to force the government to discuss and investigate why masses of people are forced to use food banks in 21st century Britain.

"The time has come for an official and in depth inquiry into the causes of food poverty and the consequent rise in the usage of foodbanks. As a nation we need to accept that something is wrong and that we need to act now to stop UK hunger getting worse," said Mould.