More than a quarter of Keighley workers are paid less than the living wage, new figures reveal.

The TUC says 26 per cent of the constituency’s working population earns under £7.65 an hour. The average is 22 per cent across Yorkshire and the Humber.

The figures have been released to coincide with the TUC’s Fair Pay Fortnight and to mark the 15th anniversary of the introduction of the minimum wage.

Neil Foster, TUC regional policy and campaigns officer, said: “It used to be that going to work was enough to lift someone out of poverty, but wages are so low now this is no longer the case.

“Tackling low pay across Keighley would make a direct impact on one in four workers, but it would also strengthen the local economy. People need money in their pocket to spend with local shops and businesses for a recovery to take off here.”

The TUC stages an information stall in Low Street, Keighley, from noon to 1.30pm on Saturday.

John Grogan, Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Keighley, said: “I welcome the TUC coming to Keighley, which is a town with a proud tradition of trade unionism over the decades.

“Without trade unions in previous generations, we would never have got holiday or sick pay, and I hope in this generation, as a result of the TUC’s campaign, we can move towards a living wage for all.”