HUNDREDS of thousands of children in the north of England are living in “unprecedented” poverty, with insufficient food and warmth, a committee of northern MPs has warned.

In a damning report published today, they show how inequality between the north and the rest of England is putting more children at risk in the region than elsewhere.

The MPs warn that unless the government takes action, rising living costs will leave 900,000 children in the north facing “immediate and lifelong harms,” including worse physical and mental health, possibly for life, and an undermining of learning, social wellbeing and education.

The analysis by the Child of the North all-party parliamentary group reveals that a higher proportion of northern children suffer food and fuel poverty and live in cold, damp homes than in the rest of England.

It says: “For many families, the current economic chaos will deepen an enduring child poverty crisis in the region.”

South Shields Labour MP Emma Lewell-Buck, who co-chairs the group, said: “Whilst poverty is, sadly, not a new experience for many children in the north, the scale and severity of deprivation is now unprecedented.

“As the cost-of-living crisis worsens, vulnerable children and families, especially in the north, are being pushed to the edge.”

Cheadle Tory MP Mary Robinson, the other co-chairwoman, said: “The findings of the report serve as a stark reminder of the devastating reality of child poverty in the north.

“It is heartbreaking to hear stories of those living this reality and the uncertainty of what the future holds.

“What is clear is the need for immediate action to tackle the crisis before long-term harm is caused to the children of the north.”

Report co-author Kate Pickett, professor of epidemiology at the University of York, said: “We risk seeing more children falling deeper into poverty if measures aren’t implemented by government to adequately help those living in areas that are the most vulnerable to rising living costs.”

End Child Poverty youth ambassador Sophie Balmer said that as a child, she had known poverty first-hand, but that the crisis facing families today was worse.

“The government needs to help families,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like an ask anymore. It’s an absolute need.”