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Prime Minister Gordon Brown defends his record on child poverty in an interview with Gordon Burns...

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In her house on an estate in Burnley, 12 year old Katy is looking at the damp coming through the walls of her bedroom.

“I think it’s terrible really. It’s not the place for a little girl to be sleeping,” says 12 year old Katy looking around her bedroom. “I could get pneumonia or something.”

There’s no paint or paper on the walls of Katy’s bedroom. Katy’s mum is still waiting for the council to come out and look at the damp problem. Katy’s pinned up a few posters from a girls’ magazine to try and make the room look nicer, but she worries about dirt and germs.

This is the reality of child poverty in the 21st Century.

In the next bedroom, 13 year old Steve shares a double bed with his 11 year old brother Ben. "And some spiders," he adds. The room’s a mess. Like his sister’' room, there’s damp and flaking plaster on the walls. “My door’s got holes in it,” says Steve. "I'd really like a Manchester United bedroom,” pipes up Ben, the youngest, "cos it's the best football team. I'd like to have a Manchester United bed, wallpaper, drawers, TV and a Manchester United carpet."

"They'll say we can't afford it," Steve tells him. "They'll say it’s too much money to pay out this time."

"This summer my friends went to Italy, Greece, Turkey or any other fancy place like that, cos their parents can afford it," says Katy. "It’s not like I'm dissing my parents for not being able to afford it but..." She pauses. "They say they have to spend it on debts and food and shopping."

As the children get older, they're becoming more aware of the conditions they're living in. "I feel embarrassed when my mates come round," says Steve. "No-one can ever sleep over because of the state of the room."

"My friends always say I'm scruffy, and I live in a dustbin," says Katy. "It's not really our fault because we can't afford much."

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Nine year old Amir explains what it's like to grow up in an area blighted by poverty, neglect and crime. It's hard for him to find a safe place to play...

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Meanwhile, children from Blackpool talk about how they feel embarrassed and singled out because they can't afford clothes and even items for class...

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Poverty line

You're classed as living below the poverty line if your family income is 60% or less than average income (median). That includes families living on benefits and some in part time or low paid work. In real terms, that means bringing up a family of four on £11 pounds each per day.

According to the government's latest figures, one in four of the north west's children live below this poverty line. Child poverty charities like Barnardos believe the real figure is closer to one in three. This government promised to half child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it forever by 2020. But after years of making progress, they've stalled. For the last two years, child poverty has risen slightly. And as the credit crunch squeezes family budgets, charities say the problem is getting worse.

A spokesman for The Salvation Army said: "As a Christian church and charity we have a long history of providing practical and spiritual support to families and their children who are affected by poverty. Earlier this year we published a major report called The Seeds of Exclusion which found that cases of homelessness have their roots in childhood and unfortunately poverty is often a factor. At our Corps (churches) locally we try to help children on the poverty line by providing them and their families with food and clothing parcels, afterschool clubs and at Christmas time with toys. We also 'sign post' parents to the right agencies for further advice and support in areas such as family tax credits and free school meals and uniform vouchers. In the meantime we are continuing to lobby Government on this very important issue of child poverty."

Poverty makes a massive difference to a child's life chances. It's a stark fact - a child born today in parts of Blackpool or Burnley stands to die six or seven years earlier than a child born in affluent parts of Lancashire.

The Labour Party holds its annual conference in central Manchester from 20th to 24th September 2008 and over the coming week, we'll hear from children whose lives are blighted by extreme poverty and ask why such conditions still exist in our communities in the 21st Century.