A serving Metropolitan police officer and her trainee midwife sister are both parted from their children - after agreeing to the heartbreaking separation so they could carry on serving the community during the COVID-19 crisis.

Charlotte Elliott is a single mum living at Kings Quarter, Maidenhead with her children Miles, nine and Heidi, seven. She is a police office in London, while her sister Harriet Simpkins - mum to Noah, seven and Lottie, four - is a trainee midwife at Wexham Park Hospital. She lives in Windsor.

Their own mum and dad Dave and Elizabeth Boyce, of Keepers Farm Close, Windsor had always stepped to help with child minding.

But with Coronavirus spreading two months ago and lockdown imminent Charlotte and Lottie faced a painful decision.

Charlotte said: "It was mum who made the decision for us. She said 'the public need you both'."

Taking the children was a big decision for Dave and Elizabeth as he suffers from leukaemia and is in 'high risk' category from the virus. It has meant that Charlotte and Harriet in their high risk jobs must remain totally isolated from their parents and their children.

Charlotte said: "My sister and I have been praised by friends and the public yet I believe my parents are the true heroes as they are being grandparents, parents, nurse, teacher, support, cooker and cleaner 24/7. The only contact we are able to have with them and our children is a few stolen moments on FaceTime.

"I don't think I could ever put into words how grateful I am to them for taking care of my children and my niece and nephew and how much I love them for all they do for me and mine."

Elizabeth and Dave have helped the children celebrate two birthdays already during the seven weeks they have been with them.

She said: "Harriet goes onto the wards for her job and Charlotte's job as a police officer has a lot of contact I don't really like but it's her job and it's important.

"There was a lot of crying but they made the right decision.

"I think there are a lot of people like us doing this sort of thing - probably thousands. People just don't know about it."