A single mum was forced to make toast and beans using a gas fire and a candle wax melter in a shocking incident of poverty in the city.
The mum and two children under the age of 10 had been in contact with Cllr Gerard Woodhouse's L6 Community Centre who personally witnessed the horrendous scenes. Cllr Woodhouse, who is councillor for the County Ward in North Liverpool, told the ECHO he felt deeply saddened and physically sick by what he saw in the North Liverpool home.
Cllr Woodhouse said he was personally dropping around supplies to the family due to staff shortages at the centre when he witnessed the poverty. Sharing the story via his social media accounts, the councillor said he had "cried non stop".
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He told the ECHO : "I went into the house and the little girl opened the door and took me through to the living room. The mum had bread on a knife holding it to the gas fire and a candle holder heating some beans. To see that in this day and age knocked me sick.
"I say it all the time but I'm not amazed at what I see in this job. You've got to be hard to deal with it - but this took its toll on me. If I didn't see it for myself I wouldn't believe someone was having to make beans using a candle holder."
Cllr Woodhouse said he has now supplied the family with a microwave, a slow cooker and a company has now offered a cooker to the family after hearing about the dreadful case. But he added these are just the cases they are aware of and fears there could be incidents which are far worse in the coming months with the cost of living set to soar.
He said: "The council can't help because it has no money. Everything is going up in price and it's going to have a big knock on effect on people.
"This is even before the energy price increase. People before could afford to get £10 of energy but now they can only afford five.
"I got told stories about what it was like having to grow up in the 30s, but I honestly think we could be in a worse situation now.
"We try our best and try and help everyone, but I'm scared we're going to have a situation where we find a body in a house. I just feel what we're trying to do is falling on deaf ears and people aren't listening."
