Support for armed forces children to help them cope with the disruptive lifestyle of the services will be doubled, David Cameron has announced.

The Prime Minister, who is expected to meet troops separated from their families for Christmas soon, has said the school support programme funding will be doubled to £6 million a year.

It will also be extended for a further three years to 2018 under the plans announced yesterday.

The fund was set up as part of the Armed Forces Covenant two years ago and provides support for pupils and schools hit by service mobility or deployment.

That includes extra support to help children settling into a new school or help for pupils to deal with their fears about parents serving overseas.