Kingston food bank is branching out. From Friday, the Trussell Trust-backed group will also offer energy vouchers through German-owned Npower, one of the UK's 'big six' providers.

The pilot scheme, running here in Kingston as well as in Durham and Gloucester, will see the area's neediest given £50 vouchers, roughly equivalent to two weeks' supply.

Kingston food bank organiser Paul Pickhaver said: "The poorest people pay more for their fuel than I do, because of pre paid meters. These work against the poorest.

"As well as giving financial help to people who are struggling we will be giving lots of advice on how to make your energy go further.

"[Npower] have not waited for the other companies to do something, they recognise what food banks do."

The vouchers will be given to all claimants, not just Npower customers, Trussell Trust chief executive David McAuley said.

Statistics released this week showed the food bank handed out 5,847 emergency food packages, designed to last three days, in 2014/15. 2,034 of those went to children.

The figure is the highest yet, though lower than had been feared when projections were made last autumn.

The food bank said nearly half - 43 per cent - of people came to them because despite having a job, their pay was not high enough. A fifth were forced to seek help because of changes to their benefits.