CHILD poverty costs Glasgow City Council almost £400million a year, a new report has claimed.

Researchers calc-ulated the impact of the problem as £395m annually, the third highest in the UK.

An estimated 36,367 children in the city council area are living below the poverty line, according to the research.

The cost of child poverty was said to be highest in Birmingham, at £914m a year, followed by Manchester, at £446m. In North Lanarkshire, the problem is estimated to cost the council £170m.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said it was "not clear from the report how figures about projected costs were arrived at".

But he stressed child poverty was "well recognised by the council" and said: "Improvements are being made to the lives of those most affected by deprivation."

John Dickie, head of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, urged councils to do every-thing they could to "protect families from poverty".

Statistics from the Scottish Government last month revealed 710,000 people north of the border – including 150,000 children – were living in relative poverty in 2011-12.

CPAG commissioned experts at Lough-borough University to produce a breakdown of its financial impact on all UK authorities.

Across the UK, child poverty is said to cost £29billion a year.

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: "Many of the recommendations in the report, such as a living wage, have already been introduced by the council."

caroline.wilson@eveningtimes.co.uk