MORE than 5,000 people in Salisbury have been given three days’ worth of emergency food supplies from the Trussell Trust’s foodbank over the last year.

The recipients included 1,885 children.

And the trust says the figures are “the tip of the iceberg of food poverty”.

Nationally, the number receiving help topped 900,000 – a 163 per cent rise on the year before.

Trust chairman Chris Mould said: “We’ve seen things get worse, rather than better, for many people on low incomes, with more people than ever experiencing seemingly unfair and harsh benefits sanctions.

“These figures are shocking in 21st century Britain. And they don’t include those helped by other emergency food providers, those living in towns where there is no foodbank, people who are too ashamed to seek help or the large number of people who are only just coping by eating less and buying cheap food.”