The cost of a basket of basic groceries in Oxfordshire has soared almost 15 per cent since the beginning of the credit crunch, our investigation has found.

Families are being forced to pay more for everyday goods each month as prices continue to soar — putting many at risk of spiralling debt or even eviction.

Our investigation compared the cost of a trolley of 21 basic groceries with their price six and 18 months ago.

It showed prices had soared by 14.67 per cent since May 2007 — and 4.17 per cent since April this year.

We visited Tesco in Cowley to buy the same selection of items as on receipts dated May 2007 and April 2008.

The bill — which included eggs, cereal, cheese, milk, fruit, margarine, quiche and baked beans — was £30.93 in May 2007, £34.05 in April 2008 and £35.47 on Thursday.

A pint of semi-skimmed milk — commonly used as an indicator of food-price inflation — had risen from 34p to 45p in 18 months — a rise of 32 per cent.

Carole Roberts, manager of Rose Hill and Donnington Advice Centre, said she was not surprised by the figures.

She said: "The debt budgets that we are doing are reflecting that. People are coming in saying really basic food like bread and pasta has increased three or four times, also the cost of gas and electricity.

"People are going to be choosing whether they have heat or food.

"We have become a lot busier over the past six months."

Mrs Roberts said the number of people coming to the centre with debt problems had risen by 80 per cent in the past 18 months and she often saw people in tears and families facing eviction.

She said: "There has not been any respite and it is getting worse.

"It is going to be quite a nasty time."

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics showed wholesale food prices had risen by 7.4 per cent in the past 12 months — driving the cost of an average basket of groceries up by 12 per cent.

Earlier this month, the consumer price index, a measure of the average price of consumer goods and services which is released by the ONS, rose to 5.2 per cent — up from 4.7 per cent in August.

But the ONS said food inflation had slowed for the first time since March, from 14.5 per cent in August to 12.7 per cent in the year to September.

A Tesco spokesman said: "Tesco offers its customers real value across all of the weekly shop and we know how important it is right now to help people to make ends meet.

"That's why we have introduced the Discounter range in store and Cheaper Alternatives online to help customers save money.

"On top of this, customers will continue to see a range of promotions such as buy one, get one free and half price offers, every week at Tesco."