More than 90,000 Scottish children are living in the "most severe poverty", according to a Save the Children report published today.

The study, entitled Living Below the Radar, provides worrying new figures which show many families are struggling desperately to get by on unacceptably low incomes.

The charity has classified just under 10% of the country's one million youngsters as living in its worst poverty bracket. It comprises children aged 15 or under living with two parents who, after paying for housing costs, survive on less than £7000 a year for clothes, food, electricity and gas, and other essentials.

The report reveals that, for children living in severe poverty, around one third can't afford a bike or a football; one quarter miss out on going to toddler or play groups and one in five can't afford to celebrate Christmas or birthdays.

Some 72% of severely poor children live in households where the parents do not work, which is identified as the main reason why so many families live in severe poverty. A third of the households are not receiving key benefits, suggesting that they are in work and getting by on very low wages or not receiving all the benefits or tax credits they are entitled to.

Jane Gibreel, Save the Children's programme director for Scotland, said: "This is an outrage and we can't let these children slip below the radar. They're the children who are hardest to reach, need the most help and the greatest investment to lift them out of poverty.

"Save the Children urges the Scottish government to commit to ending child poverty by 2020 and start by tackling severe poverty now."

An insight into what life is like living in poverty was given by 56 youngsters aged between 10 and 20 in two locations, Glasgow and Wick.

"Participants identified warm clothes, shoes, and a reasonable income, as things that all children and young people should have," said the report.

It added: "To be able to participate in activities that many children take for granted like going to the cinema, swimming and going on school trips was seen as a fundamental right for all children and young people.

"They were also of the view that a holiday once a year was a basic need."

Some young people thought Save the Children should "stop giving so much money to other countries when more money is needed to deal with the poverty at home."