There should be basic human rights to which we all have access and they include having enough to eat and being able to afford the fuel with which to heat our homes and cook our food.

So it is simply not acceptable that some people – especially older people – in Bradford are being forced to make a choice between eating and heating.

As we look at yet more price rises in energy, it is becoming more and more difficult for people to balance their budgets and the instances of people falling into “fuel poverty” – officially if a household is spending more than ten per cent of its income on energy – are increasing.

And once again the people who seem to be suffering most are the elderly and vulnerable members of our society.

In today’s edition we publish alarming reports that some pensioners are being forced to take drastic measures, such as wandering around indoor shopping centres, so they can turn off their heating and keep their bills down.

This is simply not the standard of living we should expect in this day and age. No-one is calling for more handouts and benefits but it is simply not tenable for energy prices to continue to rise at the rate they are doing while income is static or even falling.

If it cannot take direct action to stem the constant price rises from the energy companies, the Government must at the very least do all it can to soften the blow for consumers.

This is especially important when it comes to older members of our society and action must be implemented now before the approaching winter begins to properly bite.