A professor specialising in love spoke with children at the Busy Bees nursery in Epsom on Valentine's Day last Friday (February 14).

Dr Jools Page has led research looking into questions of professional love, and hoped to give confidence to early years practitioners in their close and intimate work with young children.

"Jools spent time with the children using her persona doll Sarah to talk about the different meanings of Love.

"The children were really engaged in the experience and spoke about the love they have for their families, friends, and teachers at nursery," a spokesperson at the nursery said.

The kids at Busy Bees themselves had similarly glowing praise for the experience, and shared their comments on what love meant to them at the nursery.

"I love my key person because she gives me a cuddle when im sad," one said.

"I love to say goodbye and give cuddles in the office as i go home" and "I make my teachers pictures because i love them," were some of the other heartwarming comments from the children.

Manager Laura Lunn described the staff's joy at the results hosting Jools at the nursery.

"This was a great experience, the children were all on board and happy to chat away about the different sorts of love they experience every day," she said.

"It is really great to hear that we are such a big part of these children's lives giving them a little bit of our love to start them off on their journeys into life."