DOCTORS have urged people to practice safe sex after a steep rise in the number of people infected with sexually transmitted diseases in the region.

New diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increased by eight per cent in the North-East last year, the second highest in the country.

This means the rate of new STI infections is rising at twice the national rate, with young people and gay men the groups most affected.

Much of the increase in the North-East was accounted for by newly-diagnosed cases of chlamydia, which can lead to infertility in women, and syphilis.

Experts have issued a timely warning to holidaymakers to always use condoms if they have sex with a new or casual partner. The only crumb of comfort for hard-pressed NHS clinics in the region, which saw a 69 per cent rise in their workload between 2002 and 2003, was the fact that more people appear willing to have health checks and treatment than in the past.

There was also a fall in the diagnoses of gonorrhoea and genital herpes by seven and three per cent respectively.

This reduction was greater than the national average, which saw a three and two per cent respective drop.

By contrast, the rise in new STIs in Yorkshire and Humberside was three per cent, a point below the national average.

The total of diagnoses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland increased from 678,709 to 708,083 last year.

Dr Vivien Hollyoak, regional director of the Health Protection Agency North-East, said: "The rise in the numbers of cases diagnosed is at least partly attributable to more people coming forward for testing due to greater awareness of the risk of sexually transmitted infection.

"This is important because early detection of infection is vital to ensure successful treatment and to reduce the spread of these infections.

"Some, such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, often produce little or no symptoms, leaving people unaware that they are infected."

The total number of STI diagnoses in the North-East last year was 21,133, an increase of 1,568 on the previous year.

Chlamydia cases in the region went up from 2,763 to 3,380, an increase of 617.

New syphilis cases increased from 17 to 64