SOUTH WEST: Parents could be spending as much as £59 per day on childcare during the school holidays.

The report, released by price comparison website uSwitch, also shows that 40 per cent of families in the south west get a family member to help with childcare for free.

But finding childcare for the children does not leave parents in the region happy with 38 per cent of parents admitting they feel guilty for not spending enough time with their children.

Ann Robinson who is director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com said: “The amount parents are paying out this summer on childcare is incredible.

“These figures should be a wake-up call for the political parties to put this issue at the forefront of their manifestos this autumn.”

Nearly two thirds of respondents in the South West also feel the government’s measures to allow free child care do not go far enough.

However, parents in the area have the most fun compared to the rest of the country, with 50 per cent saying they have fun during the holidays.