SCHOOLS Secretary Ed Balls met young parents during a visit to a children’s centre in Merseyside yesterday.

The cabinet minister spent an hour chatting to teenage mothers, students and health workers at Linaker Primary Children’s Centre, in Southport.

After greeting staff, Mr Balls spoke to students from Southport College who attend the centre and are studying to gain health qualifications. One young mother said: “It is hard learning and being a mum.

“My son is in nursery full time, but there have been times when I have had to ask for a couple of hours off my course.

“I use the children’s centre here and you can drop in there whenever you like.”

Mr Balls also met Charlotte Day and Aaron Andersson, from Southport, who recently became parents to Leo.

Charlotte showed father-of-three Mr Balls a video clip of Aaron cutting Leo’s umbilical cord.

The couple attend a teenage parent drop-in session at the centre.

Charlotte said: “I’ve been coming here since I was five months pregnant.

“I did a course which teaches you things you need to know when the baby arrives, like how to make a bottle up.”