Food theft is spiralling out of control in Gloucester with the value of stolen goods so far this year five times the amount taken in 2012.
In 2012, there were 137 crimes of food theft across Gloucester, Stroud and the Forest of Dean.
So far this year, there have already been 100 incidents of recorded food theft in the same area. The value of stolen edibles have also soared.
Two years ago the figure stood at £445 for the five months from January to May. In the first five months of 2014, that estimated value has rocketed to £2,059.
It is the latest sign that some are resorting to desperate measures to feed themselves.
Will Mansell from the Stroud Foodbank, has also seen a 'massive increase' in the number of people using the service.
He said changes to benefits and the cost of living crisis are driving factors behind the surge.
"We have seen a 72 per cent increase in the number of people using the Foodbank in Stroud in the last 12 months," he said.
"We fed 4,200 people last year and that is not an insignificant number for the Stroud area.
"Some people get desperate for food and will resort to stealing. There is a stigma attached to Foodbanks, but people should not be embarrassed about using them.
"The problem of not being bale to feed their family is more common than many people think. I would urge them to get in touch with their local Foodbank or get a referral from a GP or social services before resorting to something silly like stealing food."
Rampant theft is also being felt across the retail sector. Customer theft accounted for 82 per cent of all retail crime by volume in 2012-13.
A spokesman for Gloucestershire Police said: "We would encourage all retailers to sign up to the CitySafe Scheme and to report any incidents of theft at their business."
Public health experts have claimed many people do not have enough income for a 'decent diet in an open letter to the prime minister.
The UK Faculty of Public Health said the situation had become so serious that an independent group should be set up by the government to investigate.
The letter pointed to rising food prices, falling wages and a boom in food banks as proof.
But the government said there was evidence problems were getting better.
Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), released in March, showed the number of people reporting they did not have enough money to buy food was falling and stood at 8.1 per cent.
This was lower than the EU average of 11.5 per cent and the OECD average for developed countries of 13.2 per cent. This is also less than the OECD average for France, Australia, the US and Canada.
