Schoolboy was so hungry he was caught trying to eat pot of glue, MP warns

A schoolboy was so hungry he was caught trying to eat a pot of glue at school, an MP has said.

Labour MP Preet Gill was told by a headteacher that children were "a nervous wreck" at school due to the impact of the cost of living crisis.

The Edgbaston MP told a committee parents were skipping meals and children were going to class without eating.

On one occasion, teachers saw a kid "trying to eat a pot of PVA glue", Birmingham Live reports.

Ms Gill said: "In the year to September food and non-alcohol beverage prices rose to nearly 15 per cent, the highest rate in nearly 40 years. And for many basics this is even higher.

"And for our poorest constituents, the impact is even worse as more of their disposal income is siphoned away on the essentials.

"At this point we can all cite shocking tales from our constituency mailbag.

"I spoke to a headteacher in my constituency recently who told me they have children turning up to school a nervous wreck, having seen their parents skipping meals and unable to concentrate, often hungry themselves.

"One boy she spoke of was so hungry that they caught him trying to eat a pot of PVA glue. This is a national crisis but an international one too which we have as much as interest in solving."

The cost of living crisis is having an impact on all aspects of life, as energy bills and mortgage payments go up.

According to a new survey, half of people who have a mortgage have said they are worried about rising interest rates.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that around a third of people who are paying rent or mortgage payments have seen their payments go up in the last six months.

As a result, a third said they are finding it difficult to make these payments.

Many families around the UK are struggling to make ends meet due to the cost of living crisis (Stock photo) (Getty Images/Image Source)

There are fears prices could rise even further as the Bank of England is poised to unveil the biggest hike in interest rates for 33 years next week.

The key Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting comes amid warnings that spending cuts and tax hikes under new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could lead to a deeper and more enduring recession.

Most economists think that the MPC is likely to rise interest rates by 0.75 percentage points to 3% at the meeting on Thursday November 3.

It will be the eighth consecutive jump in interest rates by the Bank but will represent the biggest increase since 1989.