THE Northern Echo’s campaign to ban the use of sunbeds by children has been backed by a national health organisation.

The Chartered Institute for Environmental Health lobbies the Government on public health issues and has more than 9,000 members worldwide.

The Sunbed Safety campaign was launched when 15- year-old Darlington girl Katie Turner was hospitalised with severe burns after a 21-minute session at a solarium.

Government guidelines advise that no one under the age of 16 should be allowed to use UV tanning lamps, but there is no legislation to enforce it.

Jenny Morris, the institute’s principal policy officer, said the risks are so great that the law should be changed.

“We often see cases like Katie’s in which children are badly burned,” she said.

“Evidence shows that burns from UV light increases the risk of skin cancer later in life. If it happens when you are a child then it is even more likely to happen.

“Children should be protected.

“Children are more influenced by what they see in the media, and there is a conception that being tanned is fashionable.

They are not always equipped to assess the risk in the same way as adults are.

“Our view is that under-18s should not tan at all and there should be something in place to stop vulnerable groups from having access to sunbeds.”

The Sunbed Safety campaign already has the backing of the former health secretary, Darlington MP, Alan Milburn, who has called for his successor, Alan Johnson, to take action.

Ms Morris said solarium owners should be licensed and regulated to make sure they do not allow children to use their facilities.

“There are already some licensing systems in place in some parts of the country,”

she said.

“In London, for instance, there is legislation in place that allows licensing of cosmetic treatments, although there is some variation between boroughs in the way it is dealt with. It all depends on where you live, but we want to see a nationwide policy.

“There are a lot of people lobbying for this and the Government has indicated that it could be considered. Most public health bodies share our concerns.”