SINGING along to nursery rhymes was all in a day’s work for the education minister Ed Balls on Monday.

Staff, parents and tots at Westy Sure Start Children’s Centre welcomed Mr Balls along with Labour’s North West Euro MP candidates Brian Simpson and Theresa Griffin.

The visit was part of the party’s drive to see another 500 children centres open across the country by 2010.

May marks the opening of the 3,000th centre and the Labour Party want to see similar facilities in every community.

Mr Ball, secretary of state for children, schools and families, said Sure Start buildings make a massive difference to parents and under fives.

He said that Conservatives have not always been very supportive of the centres and were cautious about injecting £200million of the budget to continue the service next year if they were to win the next general election.

“We have gone from having no Sure Start Centres 10 years ago. There are 11 in Warrington and if the Conservatives were in power it could mean that two wouldn’t be able to function.

“All of these opportunities would be taken away. It is vital to support children and families," said Mr Balls.

He said the establishments were beneficial for new parents and said people can go to the site for one thing and also get help with other issues in their life, for example debt.

Before leaving the Tinsley Street base, the education chief made a special request to the mums in a mother and baby group.

He asked for a rendition of the Wheels on the Bus and Wind the Bobbin Up, to take him back down memory lane to when his children – now aged five, seven and nine – were younger.