Charities and stars call on UK government to set child poverty reduction targets

Signatories of open letter include National Children's Bureau, Barnardo's and celebrities such as Emilia Clarke

Celebrities, MPs and children's charities are among dozens of signatories to an open letter ramping up pressure on the government to set targets for reducing child poverty in the UK.

The actor Emilia Clarke, the broadcaster Chris Packham and the presenter George Clarke have put their names to the letter, coordinated by the Big Issue founder John Bird, stating that the government's reluctance to set binding child poverty reduction targets has rung alarm bells".