Hill farmers in the south west are having to use food banks after thousands of commoners were not paid their EU subsidies by the government, the BBC is reporting.

The Rural Payments Agency says it is still reviewing the 2015 basic payment claims for 1,200 people living on common land.

One family told the BBC they have had to default on their rent and are living off of credit cards because of the delay.

The RPA, the government body that pays farmers' EU subsidies, said it would resolve any issues as soon as possible.

The BBC says the issue has arisen from the digital re-mapping of all common land in England to calculate the 2015 BPS payments.

The subsidy they have not received, the basic payment, makes up 90% of their farm income.

The charity Farming Community Network told the BBC it was issuing food bank vouchers to those with serious cash flow problems.

Mary Alford, who farms on Dartmoor in Devon, told the BBC she was still waiting for a third of her payment.

"I can't do a cash flow, the deadlines are constantly being broken and no one is accountable," she said.