A charity - which is about to open its fourth food bank in Glasgow - has called for a public inquiry into the rising number of desperate people turning to them for help.

The Trussell Trust is preparing to launch the Glasgow South East Food Bank, in Netherauldhouse Parish Church, to meet demand from desperate local people.

The charity - which runs food banks in Calton, Scotstoun and Govanhill - says 2218 people turned them for help in the six months from April to September this year.

During the same period last year, 240 people in Glasgow were fed by the trust, but only the Govanhill food bank was open at this time.

The Trussell Trust says that 23,082 men, women and children in Scotland used food banks from April to September this year, compared with 4021 last year.

And across the UK, 350,000 people accessed food banks during the same three months.

The shocking figures have prompted the executive chairman of the trust, Chris Mould, to write to the Prime Minister David cameron calling for a UK-wide public inquiry into the causes of food poverty.

Mr Mould said: "The level of food poverty in the UK is not acceptable.

"It's scandalous and it is causing deep distress to thousands of people."

Welfare reforms, rising living costs, and loss of employment have been cited as the reasons more and more people in Glasgow are being forced into poverty.

Ewan Gurr, Scotland development officer for the Trussell Trust, said: "There are huge increases in the number of people being fed by food banks, we need to see changes at policy level.

"This should be a wake up call."

Margaret Lynch, chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland, added: "The number of people who have to use food banks today is truly shameful. It paints a bleak picture of a Dickensian society."

We recently reportd how the Trussell Trust food bank in Govanhill gave out 3000 meals in a month.

The service, which is run out of the Glasgow Elim Church and managed by Audrey Flannagan, fed 219 adults and 116 children in June.

There are now around 16 food banks across Glasgow - run by charities, church groups and volunteers.

And, as a sign of the increasing demand in the city, volunteers are today busy collecting food to launch the fourth Trussell Trust food bank in Netherauldhouse Parish Church, in Glasgow's South Side.

Organisers hope it will be open and feeding desperate local people by November.

All those who use the Trussell Trust food banks are referred there by social work, housing associations and Citizens Advice Bureau.

They are given vouchers, which are redeemed for bags of food. Those who use the food banks are given a three-day supply.

Don Palmer, Pastor at Netherauldhouse Parish Church said: "Our hope is to have the food bank opened on either Tuesday and or Friday afternoons from 1-2.30pm.

"We will be officially partnering with the other current Glasgow South East Food Bank, which opens three days a week out of Govanhill Elim Church."

A launch for the newest food bank will held on November 2 from 1pm.

linzi.watson@ eveningtimes.co.uk