Parents 'pay more for childcare than mortgage'

Part-time childcare costs for a family of two children have overtaken the average UK mortgage bill by 4.7%, according to research from the Family and Childcare Trust.

Its annual childcare costs report says the cost for one child in part-time nursery care and one in an after-school club is £7,549 a year. This compares to the average UK mortgage cost of £7,207.

Mother-of-three Lynne Keeble said she was forced to give up her job because the costs of childcare ''didn't add up''.