A GP practice is urging parents to make sure their children stay safe, fit and healthy during the summer holidays.

Marjorie Gillespie is primary care medical director at Care UK, which runs Brighton Station Health Centre in Queens Road on behalf of the NHS.

She said: “Whether you are planning to stay in England or travel further afield, summer is a great time to unwind and relax – but it’s also a great time for you and your children to get out in the fresh air and enjoy some physical activity, particularly now it looks as though summer has finally arrived.”

Tips include making sure children have enough suncream to protect them as sunburn is more damaging to young people than adults.

People should also try to avoid the sun in the middle of the day when it is at its hottest, and drink plenty of water to avoid becoming dehydrated.

Bites and stings from insects can be a problem both at home and abroad and in some foreign tropical countries, insects such as mosquitos can carry diseases like malaria, Zika and Dengue Fever.

People are advised to take a good insect repellent and bite relieving cream with them.

Brighton Station Health Centre is open from 8am to 8pm every day of the year for walk-in patients and it also operates as a GP practice.