CHILD poverty has increased significantly in some parts of the borough, according to a leading charity.

Barnardo's, working with 4in10: The End Child Poverty London Project, found that 57 percent of children living in the Ilford South area of Redbridge were living in families struggling to make ends meet.

That represents a rise of five percent between 2006 and 2008, described as “staggering” by the charity.

As the figures were measured before the current recession, the charity argues that it may not show the full scale of child poverty as more adults lose their jobs.

In Redbridge, Ilford North has suffered the most with Job Seeker's Allowance claimants rising by 171 per cent in a year to 2,518.

Liz Thorne, Barnardo's London development manager, said: “The value of the third sector in Redbridge cannot be underestimated.

“We want more organisations to join us to ensure children living in poverty are not ignored and are able to access the best support possible.”

The 4in10 project is working with 18 organisations in Redbridge to counter the rise in child poverty.