Anti-poverty charities called for a public inquiry yesterday into how attacks on welfare are causing record numbers of people to turn to foodbanks.

Despite Tory proclamations of economic recovery more than 350,000 people received a three-day food package from the Trussell Trust between April and September - three times as many as in the same period last year.

Now the trust has written to the PM David Cameron calling on him to look into the "scandalous" problem of food poverty and warning that some foodbank recipients are so poor they have returned produce that needs cooking because they cannot afford the electricity to heat it up.

Some households will have to choose between eating and heating this winter as they struggle to cope with the rising costs of food and energy, the Trust said.

It also highlighted the impact of welfare reforms that came into force in April, reporting an increase in referrals to them as a result of the bedroom tax.

Trussell Trust executive chairman Chris Mould said: "The time has come for an official and in-depth inquiry into the causes of food poverty and the consequent rise in the usage of foodbanks.

"Problems with welfare are not new - they have existed for years - but the reality is that when welfare provision breaks down, people go hungry.

"We're talking about mums not eating for days because they've been sanctioned for seemingly illogical reasons or people leaving hospital after a major operation to find that their benefits have been stopped or delayed.

"It's not right that so many more people are now being referred to foodbanks due to problems with welfare, especially as much of this is preventable."

Oxfam seconded the call.

Poverty programme director Chris Johnes said: "These figures lay bare the shocking scale of destitution, hardship and hunger in the UK.

"It is completely unacceptable that in the seventh wealthiest nation on the planet, the number of people turning to foodbanks has tripled.

"Oxfam welcomes the Trussell Trust's call for the Prime Minister to launch an urgent inquiry into why people are forced to turn to foodbanks."