IT really is a dire state of affairs when the number of food parcels having to be sent out to hungry local children in Inverclyde is increasing so sharply.

Two hundred more were required in the area in just a year, according to the Trussell Trust, a very bleak statistic.

It is one which should be a source of shame for the UK Government, which is clearly not doing enough to help the most vulnerable families through the cost of living crisis.

What is particularly concerning is that the overall figures are going back the way, with 5,500 parcels sent to adults and 1,785 packages given to children.

This is the highest since 2020, a year which was obviously marked by the pandemic and all the problems it caused.

Alarm bells should be ringing that we are seeing a return to the levels of those days, instead of things improving.

Even more worrying is the fact that donations at the local foodbank have been falling in recent times, as people are forced to tighten their belts.

It doesn't take a genius to see that increasing demand and dwindling stocks are a dangerous combination, one that could cause real hardship this festive season.