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SPORTS CENTRE SUN BEDS SHOULD BE BANNED

Sun beds should be banned from council-owned leisure centres to help prevent skin cancer, an environmental health group said today.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) said rates of skin cancer had doubled since the early 1980s  and its survey found that 60% of local councils didn't have a skin cancer prevention policy in place.

It wants sun beds to be banned from all council-run sports and leisure centres. When the Gazette rang the Folkestone Sports Centre, they confirmed they had a sun bed in the fitness centre.

CIEH is also calling for local authorities to be given powers to license privately-run sun bed parlours.

Policy officer Jenny Morris said: "For a local authority to provide sun beds is akin to a hospital providing cigarettes and not having a prevention policy pays scant regard to our duty to protect and improve public health."

The CIEH's figures are based o­n a survey of local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.