'I'd love a normal life, but being a 17-year-old carer means sacrifices'

Ava-Grace Britton is 17 and studying acting at college in north London. She likes going out, seeing her friends and wants to go to university next year.

Unlike most of her peers, however, she also cares for her father, Paul, who has significant mobility and memory issues after suffering a series of strokes eight years ago.

Along with her mother Karen, Ava-Grace monitors Paul's blood glucose levels, gives him medication and helps with dinner and jobs around the house.

"I worry about him all the time," Ava-Grace told the BBC. "Before I go to college I help him and most days I have to return home quickly to look after him."

She is not alone. Officially, census data suggests there are around 130,000 carers under the age of 18 in England and Wales.

But the true figure is thought to be much higher, with many young carers hidden from view. The Carers Trust estimates there could be as many as 1 million carers under 18, with another 500,000 aged 18 to 25.

For some the responsibilities are significant, amounting to more than 50 hours a week - with consequences on young carers' social and academic prospects.

Paul's strokes were brought on by a sepsis infection, which he caught after cutting his thumb at work. His health is further compromised by diabetes which needs careful monitoring.

His condition deteriorated so much he had to give up work as a borehole engineer. He is now cared for full-time by Ava-Grace and Karen, who runs her own charity which organises lunch clubs for the elderly and vulnerable.

"Paul spent three months in hospital and in rehab. I don't know how I would cope without Ava-Grace."

Ava-Grace says her caring responsibilities have demanded a number of trade-offs over the years.

"You have to make sacrifices. I can't do all the things my friends do," she said.

"At one point I was really enjoying dance and could have started competing, but it would have been a huge time commitment which wasn't possible.

While enjoying college now, she had to move schools several times after being bullied and struggling with attendance because of her caring responsibilities and epilepsy, which she has to manage.