CASES of scarlet fever have more than doubled in Yorkshire in the last year, prompting a warning from public health bosses.

Across England 754 new cases were reported in the first week of March, and 5,746 have been reported since September, 836 of which were in Yorkshire. This compares to 2,833 cases for the same period last season, with 315 in Yorkshire.

The region is among the worst hit in the second year running of "exceptionally" high infection rates.

Public Health England's Dr Theresa Lamagni said they could not be sure why infections were rising, but said parents should be on their guard for symptoms in their children.

Dr Lamagni said: "Early signs to look out for are sore throat, headache and fever with the characteristic pink rash appearing within a day or two, typically on the chest and stomach but then spreading to other parts of the body.

"Individuals who think they or their child may have scarlet fever should see their GP without delay as antibiotic treatment is needed."

The disease mainly affects children from two to eight and modern treatments mean it is not as dangerous as it once was. But as a highly infectious disease, anyone affected should stay at home for at least 24 hours after they start treatment.