Almost 140 schools across the UK are to receive extra money to help them to minimise disruption for the children of armed forces personnel.

The #163;3 million fund will be distributed over four years to pay for support staff, counselling for families with an absent parent and materials to support the integration of children who are forced to change schools regularly. The Ministry of Defence estimates that there are 82,000 service children, of which 64,500 were in England in May 2010 - a figure that includes pre-school children.

Research from the US has found that service children report significantly higher levels of emotional difficulties than other children, with older children especially affected if parents are deployed overseas.