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A man was shot down on TV by his fellow Question Time audience members tonight for claiming food bank users “smoke, drink and have Sky TV”.

The man made his confident declaration because he knew people who’d used food banks, he said.

“The vast majority of them that do go for free food smoke, drink and have Sky television. And that is the truth,” he declared.

But he was immediately booed by the audience on the BBC's flagship panel show in Wigan.

Another audience member said: “I totally disagree.

“Last night I travelled through Wigan town centre... and I saw 10 people sitting in doorways, obviously not watching Sky.

(Image: BBC)

“The benefits system we all all refer to is the main reason people are falling out of society and living on the streets. There’s been an exponential increase in homelessness.”

Apparently pointing at Tory minister David Davis, he added: “It’s a purposefully aimed policy and you are partly responsible!”

The question from the audience was: “Should we hang our heads in shame that in one of the richest countries in the world people are queuing for food?”

Mr Davis was booed when he defended Theresa May’s refusal to accept responsibility for nurses using food banks.

Instead she said there were “many complex reasons”.

(Image: BBC)

Despite the outcry Mr Davis said: “People have short term cash issues, all sorts of things... the complexity of individual people’s lives - of course she was right.”

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood hit back that delays to benefits and “pernicious Tory welfare reforms” were responsible.

Labour’s Rebecca Long-Bailey said it was “absolutely shameful that we have food banks on our streets”.

But Mr Davis said: “Work is the answer at the end of the day.”

Question Time audience members also blasted the portrayal of Jeremy Corbyn in the media.

And several gave Mr Davis and Tory leader Theresa May a rough ride.

One declared: “She doesn’t say anything of substance. She just comes out with soundbites all the time!”

Another said: “Can Theresa May deliver on Brexit because she’s never delivered on a promise in her life as far as I’m concerned.”

A third slammed her mantra of “strong and stable leadership,” saying: “All it really is is a smokescreen to bring in more austerity if she wins the general election - and privatisation as well.”

A fourth slammed Brexiteers’ discredited promises of more money for the NHS, shouting: “Where is that money David?”

Mr Davis told the audience: “Can you trust Theresa May to do this or can you trust Jeremy Corbyn to do this?”

But when he said the words “Theresa May”, several audience members shouted “no!”

He did get some approval though when he said: “She was Home Secretary over 6 years in which crime came down by 30%.”