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Around 38,000 adults in the county said they have gone a whole day without eating because they couldn’t afford it, according to the most recent statistics from July 2023.

A total of 111,000 households had doubts about how they would get food – nearly double the number from the previous year.

The figures, which show the continuing impact of the cost of living crisis, were discussed by Nottinghamshire Council’s health and wellbeing board on March 13.

More people in Nottinghamshire are using food banks with a 'shameful' number going hungry. Photo: Anne Shelley

Sarah Collis, chair of Healthwatch Nottingham & Nottinghamshire, said: “It’s shameful to know what citizens in our area are going through.

"Food poverty is a gateway to a whole lot of other pain.”

Coun Penny Gowland (Lab) described the food poverty as a ‘problem of inequality’.

She said: “Some people can afford to give £10m to a political party and others can’t eat.”

There are striking geographic differences in food insecurity across the county, with Mansfield highlighted as hotspot.

The number of adults with food insecurity in each district and borough is:

Ashfield – 29.1 per cent

Bassetlaw – 29.9 per cent

Broxtowe – 5.6 per cent

Gedling – 2.9 per cent

Mansfield – 53.1 per cent

Newark & Sherwood – 16.7 per cent

Rushcliffe – 0 per cent

Coun Caroline Ellis (Lab), who represents Mill Lane on Mansfield Council, said she has seen first hand the growing need at food clubs and food banks.

She said: “We are getting a lot of working poor – people who are using credit cards to pay bills, but running out of food.

“We’re noticing people smoking more because it stops them from getting hungry.

"They will have a cigarette or vape instead of food.”

Healthy Start is one national scheme aiming to tackle the problem, with free payments to spend on milk, fruit and vegetables and formula milk.

However, only around 70 per cent of Nottinghamshire people who are eligible (pregnant women and parents of children under four on certain benefits) are currently claiming it.

It’s recommended that the council develop and support local food partnerships to address food insecurity, working in collaboration with businesses.

Fuel poverty was also raised as an issue that is affecting the health of many worse-off residents in Nottinghamshire.

'Shameful’ number of Nottinghamshire people going hungry and skipping meals