CHILDREN as young as nine are aware of the differences between rich and poor people, research funded by the Swindon-based Economic and Social Research Council has revealed.

The ESRC, which is based at North Star and funds projects nationwide, enabled researchers to interview 35 children aged nine to 12 and their parents.

Families were drawn from two areas of a large city, and topics discussed included aspirations and health issues.

The research revealed stark contrasts between the two groups in terms of choices and opportunities.

But there were similarities when they talked of family, personal challenges and issues such as bullying or divorce.

The youngsters talked about inequalities between rich and poor in terms of fairness and unfairness, and neither group believed that how much money their family had made a big effect on their lives.

Dr Kathryn Backett-Milburn, the report's co-author, said: "Children's comments on inequality and unfairness reinforce previous calls for children's voices to be included in policymaking, not just with an eye to their future health but also because of potential consequences for their sense of well-being in the present."