PRICES of basic foods are expected to increase in Britain as a result of lower crop yields caused by this year’s cold spell and long hot summer, hitting the country’s poorest people hardest.

Household food bills are expected to rise by £7.15p a month, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

The Green Party said that climate change was reducing Britain’s ability to import food in the wake of poor local harvests.

Green MEP Molly Scott Cato told the Morning Star: “It's clear that the extreme weather conditions this spring and summer have led to problems for farmers.

“Poor yields and rising prices are a particular concern for the many dairy farmers I represent in south-west England who have had to feed winter fodder to their animals during the summer.

“But for consumers, the fact that many of the world's bread-basket countries have suffered drought conditions simultaneously means that the normal market solution of importing crops to substitute for poor harvests will not work this time.

“This shows yet again that it is the poor who will bear the brunt of climate change and families who are already struggling to put food on the table will simply not be able to find the additional money to buy basic staples like bread and potatoes, which we can expect to see costing considerably more this autumn.”