Twenty nine local authorities in Great Britain have more than one in five children living in severe poverty, a report published by Save the Children has found.

Conducted by the New Policy Institute the research reveals that 1.6m children across the UK live in severe poverty.

Manchester and Tower Hamlets were reported to have the highest proportion with more than a quarter (27 per cent) of children living in the poorest households.

Save the Children is now calling on government to remove the barriers to employment faced by low income parents including low wages and childcare costs and improve the financial support provided to families in need.

The report states: "The government can ensure no child grows up in severe poverty if it has the political will to do so. Building on the recommendation by Frank Field, it must set out a clear commitment to end severe child poverty in the UK, implement the policies needed to boost family incomes and support parents to overcome barriers to employment."

The figures were gathered through statistics from the Households Below Average Income/ Family Resources Survey and the Annual Population Survey in the three years up to 2009.

A statement from Newham Council, which was identified as having a quarter of children living in severe poverty, said the government needs to do more to help the problem.

"Newham has always been dedicated to ending child poverty and we believe any child suffering from abject poverty is one too many. The coalition government needs to do more. Their welfare reforms and cuts in housing benefit will have a serious impact on the lives of children and families in Newham. Their unfair cuts will also see our budget squeezed and Newham will have to save £75m over four years."