THERESA May has told how not having children has been "very sad" but that her Christian faith had helped her cope.

In a rare glimpse into her personal life, the Prime Minister spoke of the impact the death of her father had had on her when she was a newly-wed.

Yet instead of losing her faith, the vicar’s daughter insisted her religious belief had helped her to deal with personal tragedy.

Commenting on the fact that she and her husband Philip have not had children, she told LBC radio: "It's been very sad; it just turned out not to be possible for us.

"Of course, we are not the only couple that finds ourselves in that situation and when you do I suppose you just get on with life. We've got nephews and nieces."

Asked if she would have been able to devote so much of herself to her work if she had had children, Mrs May replied: "I look at some of my parliamentary colleagues and people who have been in the Cabinet who had children and yes, they do apply themselves, they are just very well organised. That is the key thing."

Mrs May was 25 when her father, the Reverend Hugh Brasier, was killed in a car crash and her mother Zaidee died a few months later.

"It did have quite an impact on me," she admitted. "I was very fortunate in that I had been married not that long beforehand and Philip has been a fantastic support for me. He really was my rock at that time.”

She went on: "I was an only child so I didn't have brothers and sisters that I could share it with. Suddenly, there I was without the two people who had brought me up and had meant so much to me throughout my life. It did have an impact and I think part of that impact was about reinforcing the belief in and importance of public service that I'd learned from my parents.

"My faith helped in just being a support there for me."

When it was suggested the loss of her parents and realisation she would not become a mother might make her lose her faith, she replied: "No, because, it's difficult to explain in simple words but actually the faith was there and did provide support for me through those difficult times."

In the wide-ranging interview, the PM, a keen cook with more than 100 recipe books, revealed she would make slow-roasted lamb if US President Donald Trump was popping round for dinner.

"I might do something like a slow-roast shoulder of lamb. It's making it really slow roast so it really falls off the bone. Absolutely gorgeous."

Mrs May said she was getting "a lot less" than her standard five or six hours of sleep a night at the moment but was fortunate to be able to "sleep pretty well".

During the course of a phone-in with listeners, Mrs May faced questioning faced questioning about Brexit and her predecessor David Cameron’s remarks from earlier in the day when he told ITV News: “This is one of the most defining elections I can remember where it's so important that the Conservatives win and win well, so Theresa can negotiate that Brexit deal; so she can stand up to people who want an extreme Brexit, either here or in Brussels."

The PM said: “No the reason I called the election was because we need the security and the stability for five years of greater certainty that can take us through Brexit and beyond.”

She pointed out: “You know I can be difficult, there are going to be tough negotiations and it’s important we have somebody there who can go out and bat for Britain.”

In response to Mr Cameron’s remarks, Alistair Carmichael for the Liberal Democrats said: “Saying Theresa May needs a landslide to stop an extreme Brexit is like saying a bank robber needs the keys to the safe to look after the cash.

“Nigel Farage told you everything you need to know about Theresa May’s Conservatives. On May 7, Farage tweeted: ‘Theresa May is using the exact words and phrases I've been using for 20 years.’

“A Conservative landslide will be bad for jobs, the NHS and schools,” declared the former Scottish Secretary.

He added: “But have hope. A better future is available. We will stand up to Theresa May's cold, mean-spirited vision of Britain that will cost jobs and put up prices. We will stand up for your schools and hospitals.”