Charities say half a million UK kids risk hunger as parents struggle to afford food over summer

Half a million children across England are at risk of going hungry during the long summer holidays, when schools are closed and free school meals aren’t available.

Charities say schemes to prevent children going short of food simply don’t have the resources to cope.

The Government agreed to spend £9.1 million on pilot projects to help disadvantaged children during the school holidays.

But figures obtained by this programme and the Guardian show that the vast majority of funding bids from the country’s most deprived areas were rejected.

From Anja Popp and Tom Wall.