• IT would seem that Camden Council is oblivious to all the dire warnings in the local and national media of the coming impact of the food and energy inflation on the most vulnerable residents of our borough.

Letters in the August 18 CNJ raised a range of issues of council policy and practices which made things worse for them.

The lack of any coherent council strategy on food banks and prevention of those without photo ID from cashing their government financial help vouchers being two examples quoted. There are many more.

Food banks need specialist premises but the council allows some of its buildings to remain empty for years and organisations running food banks are charged rents and business rates to feed the hungry.

I have been “negotiating” for over a year with the council to find suitable premises as our current location is unsuitable and in need of repairs. Our number of “customers” is already beginning to increase.

Threats of and actual evictions from both the private and council sectors appear to be increasing too.

Meanwhile we have an increasing number of separate council-led groups which spend their time in “meetings”.

Co-operation between various council departments such as property services and others involved does not appear to exist.

Those who are making decisions, often in secret, about food banks appear to have little understanding of the problems we face.

There is little appreciation that many of us struggling to manage are unpaid volunteers with little recognition from the council.

What we now need is leadership from the top of the council with the direct involvement of those actually feeding the hungry and dealing with the growing range of other problems they are facing.

I thought we were a socialist borough prioritising the need of the most vulnerable. From our food bank perspective nothing could be further from reality.

MICK FARRANT, NW5