Today we reveal the shocking new study that shows Oxford is getting more deprived, despite efforts to address the problems.

The news has shaken city leaders and confirms what hundreds of families already know – life is getting tougher.

Twelve areas, concentrated in the south-east of the city, are now among the most deprived in the country.

What is more worrying is the study, released recently, relies on data from 2008 that does not reflect the damage of the recession and savage public spending cuts.

All those charged with tackling deprivation, the city and county councils, the Government, and the Primary Care Trust, are slashing budgets. The charities and volunteer organisations that provide vital support also face an uphill struggle to secure funding.

Deprivation affects people of all ages, but children are often hardest hit. The increased challenges these youngsters face can make it even more difficult to achieve at school, locking them into the cycle of deprivation.

But the biggest risk of all is that the stigma of deprivation quashes their dreams and ambitions, and this must not be allowed to happen.

Those making decisions on axing services must keep the impact on families, and especially children, at the forefront of their minds.