Sunscreen 'banned' in schools

About 2,000 people die from skin cancer in the UK each year

A council has forbidden pupils to apply sunscreen in school - in case other children suffer an allergic reaction.

The order came to light after 10-year-old Manchester pupil Georgia Holt was told by her teacher at Seymour Road Primary School, Clayton, she could not apply any lotion on one of the hottest days of the year.

Cancer Research UK, which launched the Sun Smart campaign to warn of the dangers of the sun, said it was "amazed" by the policy.

Manchester City Council says it is following health and safety guidelines.

Georgia's mother Wendy said her daughter had forgotten her sunscreen and asked if she could use some kept at the school, after temperatures reached 26C on Monday.

Ms Holt had warned her daughter of the dangers of playing out in the heat without sunscreen.

'Acted responsibly'

But a teacher told Georgia she was not allowed to apply the cream.

A spokesman for Manchester City Council said: "We believe that the school acted responsibly and in accordance with the health and safety guidelines laid down by the local authority.

"Parents are encouraged to apply a high factor sunscreen to their children before they leave for school, and to send them to school wearing loose fitting clothing and a sun hat.

"We advise that children do not bring sunscreen into school or share it with other children as some children can suffer allergic reactions to it."

The risk of being burnt probably far outweighs the risk of someone suffering a minor allergy Nicola O'Connor, Cancer Research UK

But Cancer Research UK, said the dangers of a minor allergic reaction were tiny compared to the risk of cancer.

Nicola O'Connor, from Cancer Research UK, said: "During the hot weather it's especially important that children take care and they should be encouraged to use sunscreen.

"The risk of being burnt probably far outweighs the risk of someone suffering a minor allergy."

Ms Holt said the decision was "ridiculous".

She said: "I'm very cross because you see and read so much about how people can get cancer if they are not protected properly.

"All I've tried to do is make my daughter aware of this from an early age."

Skin cancer is the second most common cancer in the United Kingdom, with about 50,000 new cases each year, of which 6,000 are malignant melanomas.

About 2,000 people die from melanomas in the UK every year.