The founder of Bradford Metropolitan Foodbank has condemned comments made by Education Secretary Michael Gove, who suggested foodbank users were responsible for the predicament they were in through financial mismanagement.

Mr Gove expressed the controversial view when he was questioned as to why some foodbanks were having to provide school uniforms to parents who could not afford uniforms themselves.

Speaking in the House of Commons earlier this week he said: “I had the opportunity to visit a foodbank in my constituency only on Friday and I appreciate that there are families who do face considerable pressures.

“It’s often a result of decisions that have been taken by families, which means they are not best able to manage their finances. What we need to do is to ensure the support is there not just financially but also to make sure that the right decisions are made.”

But Lashman Singh, founder of the Bradford Metropolitan Foodbank said: “It’s absolutely a load of nonsense. This person clearly doesn’t live in the real world or know poverty. I came from poverty and people don’t come to foodbanks by choice.

“As human beings we don’t do that to ourselves. They come out of need.”

Mr Singh said the Bradford Metropolitan Foodbank was supplying 120 food parcels a month two years ago but demand is due to hit 800 by the end of this month.