Four in 10 children in Tower Hamlets are living in poverty, according to new research.

The Campaign to End Child Poverty has published figures showing that 42 per cent of children in the borough are living below the poverty line – twice the national average.

The constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow had 42 per cent of children living in poverty, while in Poplar and Limehouse the figure was 41 per cent.

Chairman of the campaign, Enver Solomon, said: “The huge disparities that exist across the country have become more entrenched and are now an enduring reality, as many more children are set to become trapped in long-term poverty and disadvantage.”

Children in Bethnal Green and Bow are six times as likely to live in poverty as their peers in Richmond, where just seven per cent of children are affected, the report says.

The figures come just weeks after research published by the Greater London Authority (GLA) claimed almost half of the borough’s 49,000 children live below the poverty line.

Responding to the GLA report, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow Rushanara Ali said: “My constituency already has the highest level of child poverty in the country, while London suffers a stubbornly high rate of child poverty compared to the rest of the country.

“I am concerned that the government is making things worse by cutting support for low-income families through its cuts to tax credits and other support.

“This will affect thousands of hard working families in my constituency.”