Calls for a ban on sunbed use by the under-18s have been welcomed by the region's health chief.

According to new research by the charity Cancer UK, which has demanded the ban, more than a quarter of a million children aged 11-17 are risking their health by seeking a tan from sunbeds.

Its report says that in England on average, 6% of 11-17 year olds use sunbeds.

But in Liverpool, a shocking 50% of 15-17 year-old girls aim to tan on sunbeds, and more than two in five use them at least once a week.

Professor Qutub Syed, director of the Health Protection Agency North West, welcomed calls for a ban on sunbed use by the under 18s.

The agency advises that sunbeds should be off limits to the under 18s and should not be used for cosmetic tanning.

Professor Syed said: "Sunbeds cause tanning and can cause sunburn.

"There is no evidence to suggest any type of sunbed is less harmful than natural sun exposure. Sunbeds should never be used by anyone under 18 years of age."

Catherine Thomson, Cancer Research UK’s head of statistics, said: "The International Agency for Research into Cancer reclassified UV radiation exposure as 'carcinogenic to humans' – and this includes radiation from sunbeds and tanning beds.

"We know that rates of malignant melanoma are rising faster than any other cancer in the UK and causing more than 2000 deaths a year."

More than 10,400 cases of malignant melanoma were recorded in the UK in 2006, with 10% of cases being diagnosed in the under-35s and 30% in the under-50s.

Incidence rates of this form of skin cancer have quadrupled since the 1970s.

The HPA also advises that if people do want to use sunbeds then they should visit facilities that give appropriate guidance about the skin-types of people who should not use the beds.