A FOOD bank in Darlington is facing “phenomenal” demand as food and energy prices soar.

Stephen Morgan, who runs the NQA foodbank in Northgate, Darlington, said he was hoping to see more from the Chancellor’s Spring Statement to address cost of living pressures faced by some of the people who use the facility.

He said: “There are some phenomenal increases in costs to food and it’s not getting better. Wages and benefits are not going up to match.

“I was hoping the fuel duty would have been more. Five per cent is minimal.”

Read more: North East reaction to Chancellor's Spring Statement

He added: “For a lot of people there is no disposable income anymore, there’s borrowed income and that’s about it.

“It’s going to be a very difficult few months and we will really need to working together to get through it.”

He added: "One of our former clients who is now a volunteer has seen an 85 per cent rise in energy bills.

"He had two letters in a week with higher prices. That's on a pre-paid metre.

"The cost of energy and oil is going up but why are standing charges going up? That's the part I find it hard to make sense of."

Last week, Caroline Todd, manager of King’s Church foodbank, which is marking its 10th year in operation this year, told the Northern Echo that the cost of living was forcing people to return to use the service.

She said: “It feels like it’s gone full circle since we opened in 2012.

 “It was a case of heating or eating then too. Each season brings along a new crisis.

“We have got people living on £250 a month and families are getting benefit caps. It’s like a Victorian tax. It breaks my heart - why should children have to suffer?

“The cost of inflation is so huge that the rise in benefits does not match it. What’s a couple of pounds now?”

Read more: How Rishi Sunak's Spring Statement will affect you

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Darlington Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054