A Netflix star says seeing his own neighbours queuing for a food bank has “woke” him and his family up to the humbling reality of food poverty.

Actor Ashley Walters, who features in the award-winning drama Top Boy, was speaking while offering a helping hand at Canterbury Food Bank yesterday (November 7).

His visit comes as thousands face the challenge of whether they will be able to afford to stay warm amid high heating bills or buy food this winter.

Food banks are bracing themselves for a sharp increase in demand over winter, with the Whitstable-based charity experiencing a 14% rise in households needing parcels since the start of the month.

More than half of the charity’s 12,500 donations last month went out to children.

It provides three-day food parcels to individuals and families in short-term financial crisis across Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay and the surrounding villages.

Mr Walters told KentOnline: “I can't lie, it's sad that we have to have places like this.

“You assume people have got money to support themselves but we saw some of our neighbours queuing up at the food bank, and it really woke us up to the fact that actually no one’s too far away from being in that position.

“It’s more than just packing a bag, right? It's hoping that you can be a part of change and helping someone else is good.

“Some people are living alright, but are only like two months away. If they don't get paid for two months from work or they lose a job, they could be homeless.

“If I can come here and do it, I hope it inspires other people to help if they can but the reality is that I don't come in here with an ego thinking that I'm going to put my face on the screen.

“Just doing this and being here for me personally is inspirational and it makes me feel a lot better and I think people forget about that, the art of giving to someone else obviously helps them and you do it with an open heart.”

The 42-year-old first rose to fame as a member of the garage group So Solid Crew, whose hit single ‘21 Seconds’ hit the top spot in the UK charts.

The actor, who played drug kingpin Dushane in the Netflix TV series Top Boy, is originally from Peckham, in south east London but now lives in Herne Bay with his wife and children.

As part of his visit to the food bank’s HQ in Whitstable, he helped pack parcels which will go out to those in need and offered some light relief for those who work relentlessly to ensure demand is met.

But Mr Walters is not the only celebrity to lend a helping hand to the food bank, with boxer Barry McGuigan paying the team a visit last Saturday.

The 63-year-old helped launch the charity’s winter campaign by packing bags with volunteers ahead of its Reverse Advent Calendar campaign.

Instead of receiving a treat each day, participants add a much-needed item from the food bank’s calendar to a bag for life.

“It must be difficult for people to put their hand out and ask for help,” said the I’m A Celebrity 2024 contestant.

“It is incredible to see all these wonderful people who volunteer and make sure the food gets to people.

“I’m here because I want to give something back to people when they are in need because that’s what this organisation is all about.”

Martin Ward, a trustee for Canterbury Food Bank, added: “Where we've come from since the pandemic, we're many, many times beyond where we were there.

“So although we're doing similar to what we were doing 12 months ago, you look at what we were doing 24 months ago and 36 months ago, and there are huge, huge differences [in demand].

“People have to make a choice between heating and eating. It's a bit of a hackneyed phrase but there are real choices.

“My dream is that Canterbury Food Bank is no longer necessary.”