Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn discussed the rising costs of childcare when he visited a nursery this morning.

Mr Corbyn spent time painting, chatting, and disassembling and reassembling a Russian doll at The Little Learners Montessori in Watford.

Mr Corbyn's visit to the town comes as new figures released by the Labour party show that childcare has risen by nearly 50 per cent in some areas of the UK since 2010.

He pledged to deliver 30 hours a week of free childcare for all children under the age of four.

Following his visit to Little Learners, Mr Corbyn said: "This is a really high quality nursery with a very good monitoring system which ensures children are developing properly. Development of children's skills, coordination, and communication is so important.

"All nurseries are going through a real problem because funding Is not sufficient and that means that some nurseries are even closing because they can't provide the service they want to provide and we want them to provide. All children that go to nursery are better prepared for primary school. I want that for all children."

Analysis, using figures from the Family and Childcare Trust's annual survey of childcare costs, show that childcare has risen three times the rates of wages since 2010. For example the cost of 25 hours of childcare a week across England has risen by £36.73 for nursery children under the age of two (a rise of 41.74 per cent).

His visit to Watford was accompanied by Shadow Minister for Early Years, Tracy Brabin.

The Labour leader was also quizzed on the anti-semitism row that is currently plaguing the Labour party.

Within the last couple of weeks, the party leader has faced criticism following comments he made in 2012 about a mural by the artist Mear One.

He acknowledged the large Jewish community, especially within the borough of Hertsmere, and pledged to tackle what he called a "poisonous cancer".

He said: Anti-Semitism is a poisonous cancer on our society. It is completely wrong. I am determined that we root it out. In the Labour party, we have a process that if anyone is found to have made an Anti-Semitic remark especially on social media, they will immediately be bought to book.

"We completely won’t tolerate it."

Mr Corbyn denied that he had any influence in the decision to list a Unite-backed parliamentary candidate in Watford earlier this year.

Following intervention by the National Executive Committee, Mike Hedges, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, was enlisted despite being rejected at the selection process.

In the end, Mr Hedges came a distant second to Chris Ostrowski.

The Labour leader said: "I don’t interfere with local parliamentary selections. I know Mike Hedges and I know Chris Ostrowski. One candidate was selected and the other wasn’t. We have got a very good party here in Watford. Chris got a great result last year but sadly we didn't win. But we are ready in Watford when Theresa May decides she wants to call a general election."