Recent figures by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) indicate that sunbeds are responsible for at least 100 deaths a year in Britain.

Researchers estimate that 370 cases of malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer are result of use of these beds, leading to 100 deaths every year. Sunbeds can leave disfiguring marks like moles which may need to be removed by plastic surgeons.

Study indicated that government has to spend at least £200 million every year treating the consequences of sunbed use.

The report indicated that sunbeds should carry "cigarette-style" warnings over their health risks.

Report revealed that there are no accurate figures for the number of sunbed parlours operating in the UK. Hence there is urgent need of all commercial sunbed operators to be properly regulated, licensed and inspected. Unsupervised coin-operated sunbeds should be banned. All the efforts should be done to prevent children aged under
18 from using the machines.

Gillian Merron, the public health minister, said: "Sunbeds can be dangerous - we must ensure that people who use them do so safely."

Professor Alex Elliott, chairman of Comare, said that he had seen schoolchildren queue up at lunchtimes to use sunbeds.