Thousands of emergency food parcels were handed out to people hardest hit by the pandemic.

A Trussell Trust report shows 11,366 emergency food packages were distributed by its Wiltshire foodbanks over the year, 4,613 of them to children - around 89 every week.

The calls for help came as families were affected by furlough and lockdown restrictions like the closures of schools.

Between April 2020 and March 2021, Malmesbury & District Foodbank gave out 1,268 food packs – 535 of which went out to children.

Around half of those in the foodbank’s catchment area needed support after finding themselves on incomes so low they were unable to support themselves.

Gill Smith, the foodbank manager, said: “The pandemic has impacted huge numbers of people and we know our figures are just the tip of the iceberg as new community organisations, independent food banks and local authorities, have sprung up during the pandemic to support our community.”

Ms Smith also called on all local election candidates to commit to ending the need for foodbank services.

The Devizes district foodbank has distributed 2,200 food parcels over the same period.

A total of 949 of them went to children. But this figure is lower than the 2,534 distributed in 2019/20.

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Liz Starling, project manager at the foodbank warned the numbers did not include people helped by new community organisations, independent food banks or the council.

Claire Edgar, director of learning disabilities and mental health at Wiltshire Council, said the council had distributed 1,422 emergency food parcels to residents between March and June last year through the Wiltshire Wellbeing Hub.

She added the hub still helps those with signposting to foodbanks, supermarket slots and referrals to the local welfare team who can award vouchers to those experiencing exceptional hardship.