Working parents with two children at school will spend up to £2,400 on childcare and entertainment during the summer break, according to a study.

Even before the cost of a family holiday, they will collectively spend about £1.78 billion during the six-week period.

Those who work will spend up to £1,200 on care arrangements for two children and a further £1,200 keeping them occupied, according to the study by Abbey bank.

More than a third of working parents will spend up to £100 a week per child on care arrangements and 85 per cent will fork out up to £100 a week more to keep their children amused.

The study showed more than half will take the cheapest option and ask relatives and friends to help them. While a quarter will use their holiday allowance or take unpaid leave, this figure has more than halved since last year, when it stood at 55 per cent.

Thirty-six per cent will cut down or change their working hours to look after children, 22 per cent will send them to a nursery and nine per cent will pay a nanny or au pair.

Fathers were more likely to turn to a credit card to relieve the financial burden, with 40 per cent of men saying they would do this compared with 27 per cent of women.

Most parents did not plan ahead, with 71 per cent taking money out of a current account.

Abbey customer director Angus Porter said: "The most important thing to do is save money throughout the year to help pay for the extra cost of the school summer holiday. Putting just a small amount aside each month into a savings account should make the financial burden of the school holiday much easier to bear."

Wednesday July 07, 2004