THE mayor of Weston has said that many residents "continue to struggle to make ends meet" and urges those that are to make use of the town's "incredible" foodbank.

Many local people who are having to go without basic supplies or are only just surviving on a very low income were interviewed in a Channel 4 documentary, which explored food poverty in the area.

According to a recent Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, the number of people experiencing destitution in the UK has more than doubled in the last five years.

Posting on Facebook, Cllr Ciaran Cronnelly, the mayor of Weston, said: "This is heartbreaking stuff from Channel 4 News who interviewed residents from Weston-super-Mare who are experiencing destitution and struggling to eat.

"These individuals were supported by the fantastic team at WsM Foodbank who go above and beyond everyday.

"But demand continues to rise, unwelcome records continue to be broken, people continue to struggle to make ends meet.

"The role of the mayor is non-political but let's be frank - there's nothing political about wanting the residents of Weston-super-Mare to not struggle.

"For those struggling you can find details of Weston-super-Mare foodbank here: westonsupermare.foodbank.org.uk.

"The reason WsM Foodbank are the mayor's charity for the year is because it's a service that is needed more than ever and they deliver incredible help.

"Thank you to all the volunteers - you are all heroes."

As written by PA Media, around 3.8 million people experienced destitution in 2022. The figure has more than doubled from 1,550,000 in 2017.

The organisation defines destitution as when someone cannot afford what they need to meet their most basic physical needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed.

The report – the fourth in a series of Destitution in the UK studies published regularly in recent years – puts the rise down to a combination of very low incomes, rising cost of living and high levels of debt.

The report stated: “The shocking statistics revealed in this report reflect a social security system now so full of holes that it falls to charities – such as food banks – to try to prevent people from experiencing the worst of destitution, but the task is too great for them.

“What is more, relying on charity to fulfil what should be the responsibility of the Government is morally unacceptable.”

The Weston Mercury is planning on reaching out to local parties and organisations to see what's being done to alleviate these problems.