SWINDON'S most famous mother Melinda Messenger believes that mums are the best carers for youngsters and the Government should support this.

The former model turned television star says that the Government should be providing financial aid to mothers, so they can stay at home to raise their children.

The mother of three, made her comments after a new report published yesterday revealed that child care costs had gone up by 5.2 per cent on average across the country in the last 12 months.

Melinda claims that rather putting the raising of children in the hands of childminders, mothers should stay at home to look after them.

She said: "The best thing the Government can do is provide some kind of financial help so that mothers can afford to stay at home rather than go to work.

"This would mean that parents would not have to pay out so much on child care. The best carer for any child is one of its own parents, and in my opinion especially the mother."

Melinda, 33, shot to fame in 1997 after appearing in an advert for a double-glazing firm.

In the ad she appeared in her underwear behind a window with the slogan The Class behind Glass.

After marrying the love of her life Wayne in 1998 the couple now live in Wanborough with sons Morgan, four, and Flynn, two, and one-year-old daughter Evie.

After calling time on her Page 3 career she switched to TV presenting and has since appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and Fort Boyard.

According to the study carried out by the charity Daycare Trust the typical cost of a place at nursery for a child under two-years-old in England was £141-a-week, totalling more than £7,300 a year.

Stephen Burke, director of Daycare Trust, said that the Government's plans for helping parents over the next 10 years were welcome but families needed assistance now.

"The findings of this survey may make grim reading for some, but parents across the UK already know too well the inflating cost of childcare," he said.

"Parents of children right now need more access to affordable, quality childcare to suit their needs."

The survey asked child care information services around the country if parents were reporting a lack of affordable good quality nurseries and other facilities.

Nearly two thirds confirmed this was a problem. It also looked at out of school clubs, which typically set parents back a further £45- a-week.

Nursery places for children older than two typically cost £132-a-week each in England, up 7.3 per cent from last year.

Jamie Hill