MP tells story of pupil who collapsed from hunger

A parliamentary debate on child poverty has heard how pupils in Stoke-on-Trent are going hungry.

Ruth Smeeth, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, said one child in the city fainted as he had not eaten over the weekend, since his free school meal the previous Friday.

She said another scheme to cater for children expected to go hungry over the summer holidays in Kidsgrove proved so popular that it ran out of food and needed extra volunteers.

Tesco came to the rescue, supplying food and help to cook it, Ms Smeeth said.