Child aged 10 among 200 cases of illegal sunbed use as watchdog cracks down
Disturbing reality of illegal sunbed use involving children as young as 10
- More than 200 instances of children illegally using sunbeds, including one aged 10, have been recorded across the UK over the past 15 years.
- Despite legislation prohibiting sunbed use for under-18s, enforcement is weak, with only eight out of 66 councils issuing fines for breaches.
- Experts warn that sunbeds significantly increase the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, with approximately 100 UK deaths annually linked to their use.
- The Advertising Standards Authority recently banned five sunbed companies from making misleading 'safe tanning' claims in their advertisements.
- The Government plans to strengthen regulations under the National Cancer Plan, introducing mandatory ID checks and banning unsupervised sessions to protect young people.