Labour has seized on concerns from two senior Tory councillors about their party's policy of allowing parents to set up state-funded "Free Schools".

Education Secretary Ed Balls said the councillors had "let the cat out of the bag" by querying whether the scheme would drain funds from mainstream schools.

But shadow education secretary Michael Gove insisted that everyone was agreed there was a need for a fair system of funding for local education.

On Monday, Tory leader of Kent County Council Paul Carter repeated concerns he had raised earlier this year, saying in an interview: "At the moment the more academies and free schools you operate, under the current academy funding arrangements, the less maintained schools would get."

However, according to a daily newspaper, a number of top head teachers have today come out in support of the Tory plans.

Education and children are likely to be on the agenda on the campaign trail again later. Gordon Brown is visiting Scotland and Manchester to discuss family life.