South East London is set to receive a major boost thanks to government grants totalling more than £9m.

Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham are set to share the money to boost education for three and four year olds.

Education minister Estelle Morris announced the investment along with plans for 3,257 new childcare places for disadvantaged children in the area.

The money will be distributed to the boroughs over three years. Bexley will receive more than £1.5m to help create 986 new pre and out-of-school places; Greenwich will receive more than £3m to create 1,047 places; Bromley is set to receive more than £1.3m for 874 places while Lewisham will get a £3.25m share to create 350 places.

The plans are part of a massive shake-up in London and the south east to expand childcare places which is to run alongside an initiative to recruit and train childcare workers.

A Bexley Council spokesman said: “We welcome the Government's announcement of the funding for additional childcare places and we will be working hard to make sure this initiative is joined together with the Government's other proposals for neighbourhood nurseries and the Sure Start scheme to ensure high quality provision for the people in Bexley.

“But it will be some time before the schemes come to fruition.”