Figures from the Trussell Trust, who operate a network of over 400 food banks across the whole of the UK, reveal that 7,449 packages of food were given out at a Trussell Trust operated foodbank in west London between April and September 2015.

This is the equivalent of roughly 41 people visiting a foodbank in the area every single day.

Ealing foodbank had the highest daily average out of all of west London's food banks with the equivalent of 11.3 people coming every day in the first six months of the 2015 to 2016 financial year.

Hammersmith and Fulham foodbank was second with the equivalent of 10.6 people visiting it a day over the same period followed by Harrow with 5.5 per day.

Between April and September 2015, Trussell Trust foodbanks across the UK gave 506,369 three day emergency food supplies to people in crisis compared to 492,641 in the same period last year.

As many as 185,218 of the three day supplies went to children.

On average, people needed 1.7 foodbank referrals in this six month period, leading the charity to estimate that approximately 298,000 people are likely to have used a foodbank.

Benefit delays and changes remain the biggest cause of foodbank use accounting for 43 percent of total referrals. Low income has risen slightly as a referral cause from 21 percent to 22 percent.

The central store for Ealing Foodbank at Hanwell Community Centre
The central store for Ealing Foodbank at Hanwell Community Centre

UK foodbank director Adrian Curtis said: "Latest foodbank figures are still at worryingly high levels. We look forward to the day that we can announce a decrease in numbers needing foodbanks, and we welcome the fact that latest national figures show a less dramatic rise.

"As a nation we need to learn more about the realities of life for people struggling on low incomes"

"Whilst we hope that this is a sign that economic recovery is giving more people access to secure work, several foodbanks are reporting that some agencies and charities who would normally refer people in crisis to foodbanks have been unable to do so because funding reductions have caused their services to be squeezed or closed.

"We're seeing that hunger remains a major issue for low income families and individuals. When the proposed changes to tax credits are implemented, we are concerned that more working families will not be able to make ends meet, and that we could see a substantial rise in foodbank use as a result.

"As a nation we need to learn more about the realities of life for people struggling on low incomes and make sure that no incomes are too low to live on."

Winter is likely to see a significant rise in numbers of people needing foodbanks, as people on low incomes face choices between eating and heating.

In December 2014, referrals to foodbanks were 53% higher than the average across other months, with over 130,000 three day food supplies being given to people in crisis in just one month.

Individual foodbank statistics

Foodbank People visiting People per day
Ealing 2,048 11.3
Hammersmith and Fulham 1,927 10.6
Harrow 1,004 5.5
Hillingdon 871 4.8
Brent 682 3.7
Westminster 504 2.8
Kensington and Chelsea 413 2.3