The largest study so far of young carers, carried out bythe Loughborough University Young Carers Research Group, paints a distressing picture of lack of support for children, some of them as young as five. More than a quarter of the children responsible for parents were missing school, and 34 per cent had educational problems, the survey found.

The majority of children in the study were caring for a physically disabled relative, nearly one-third cared for a mentally disabled person, and one in 10 cared for more than one relative - yet one in five said they received no back-up and just 14 per cent got home help.

Jill Pitkeathley, director of the Carers’ National Association, said: “There must be no let-up in our efforts to help this group of carers who may be particularly difficult to reach because of their family circumstances.”