Child poverty is tightening its grip on Britain’s poorest families, research suggests.
About two-thirds of children are living in poverty-hit families in pockets of some large cities, the study for End Child Poverty Coalition estimates. More than half of children in over 200 wards are below the poverty line, statistical analysis of official indices of poverty shows. The coalition of poverty charities says whole areas are abandoned to poverty.
The research, carried out by Prof Donald Hirsh at the University of Loughborough, found the situation was getting worse in places where child poverty was already at the highest level.
These areas are in large cities like London, Greater Manchester and Birmingham, with the rankings changing around a little, depending on whether housing costs are taken into account.
But the ward with the highest level of child poverty in Britain is Bastwell in Blackburn. Here, 69% of children are living in poverty.