ACTOR Emma Thompson has called on the government to protect children struggling to get enough food during the lockdown.

She said that ministers should provide emergency funding to help those who cannot afford essentials amid the coronavirus crisis.

Research by YouGov suggests that 2.4 million children live in “food-insecure” households and that, since restrictions to limit the spread of the virus were introduced, as many as 350,000 have had meals when they have not eaten enough.