Tens of thousands of emergency food parcels were handed out by food banks in Devon last year, it has been revealed.

Benefit payments which fail to cover living costs and Universal Credit delays among the reasons given.

The Trussel Trust says a record number of packages were handed out nationally in 2018/19, and in Devon 24,576 emergency three-day food packages were distributed - 34 per cent of which were to children.

This is a 10 per cent increase on the previous year, when 22,367 were distributed.

Across the South West, more than 132,000 emergency food supplies were handed out - this was also a 10 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

The Trussell Trust said that, across the UK, almost half of food bank referrals made were due to a delay in benefits being paid were linked to Universal Credit.

It said the Government should end the five-week wait for a first Universal Credit payment to help reduce reliance on food banks.

In total, the charity distributed more than 1.5million food packages in 2018-19 across 1,200 sites in the UK - 19 per cent more than the year before, and a 73 per cent increase on five years previously. More than half a million packages last year were for children.

Emma Revie, The Trussell Trust's chief executive, said: "What we are seeing year upon year is more and more people struggling to eat because they simply cannot afford food. This is not right.

"Our benefits system is supposed to protect us all from being swept into poverty. Universal Credit should be part of the solution but currently the five-week wait is leaving many without enough money to cover the basics.

"As a priority, we're urging the Government to end the wait for Universal Credit to ease the pressure on thousands of households.

"Ultimately, it's unacceptable that anyone should have to use a food bank in the first place.

"No charity can replace the dignity of having financial security. That's why, in the long term, we're urging the Government to ensure benefit payments reflect the true cost of living and work is secure, paying the real living wage, to help ensure we are all anchored from poverty."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "It is not true to say that people need to wait five weeks for their first payment. Universal Credit is available to claimants on day one.

"It also cannot be claimed that Universal Credit is driving the overall use of food banks or that benefit changes and delays are driving growth.

"The Trust's own analysis shows a substantial fall in the share of parcels being issued due to benefit payment delays.

"The best route out of poverty is to help people into sustainable employment which, with record employment, we are doing."