First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has launched a £2m fund to boost access to nursery education.

The funding will be spread over four years and will help children with additional support needs (ASN) by paying for staff training and new equipment for nurseries.

On Saturday, at SNP conference in Aberdeen, Sturgeon pledged to ensure all private nursery workers delivering Scottish Government free childcare will get the living wage. It is estimated 8000 workers will benefit.

By 2020, all three- and four-year-olds and vulnerable two-year-olds in Scotland will be entitled to 1140 hours a year of free childcare.

Announcing the funding while visiting Smile Childcare Early Years Centre in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, the First Minister said: "Expanded provision must be delivered in a way that ensures equality of access for all children.

"We want our expansion plans for early learning and childcare to be built on a foundation of fairness and equity, whether that's for the children benefiting, their carers or the staff delivering high quality learning.

She continued: "We know that there are a number of barriers which can prevent children with additional support needs from accessing early learning and childcare and this funding will help break down those barriers.

"We must give providers the skills and equipment to ensure that all children, regardless of their needs, can benefit from the huge expansion of early learning and childcare.

"It is vital that if we are to close the attainment gap that we intervene as early as possible to ensure children are given the best possible start in life."