A medical expert from Sussex says the county is experiencing the biggest outbreak of measles since the triple MMR jab was introduced nearly 20 years ago.

Parents are being warned to immunise their children against the disease, which has already claimed the life of a 13-year-old boy this year.

Figures show there have already been more than 100 reported cases in the Surrey and Sussex area alone.

There were a total of 77 cases in the whole of England and Wales last year.

Specialists have been predicting a surge in cases for some time since people were put off having their children vaccinated with the triple measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab over fears it could bring on autism or bowel problems.

Department of Health figures for 2004-05 showed only 11.7 per cent of children in Westminster, London, were immunised by their fifth birthday. The average across England was 73.3 per cent.

Dr Peter English, consultant at the Surrey and Sussex Health Protection Agency (HPA), said since January there had been 106 confirmed cases in Surrey and Sussex, with 50 more cases unconfirmed.

He said his was not the only high rate area. In South Yorkshire there could be as many as 80 cases - 40 already confirmed.

He said: "We havent had an outbreak as big as this in this country since the MMR jab was introduced in 1988.

"If you look at the Surrey figures alone, that is bigger than anything weve had previously.

"We are not surprised to see the outbreak because this is a population with a lot of people now susceptible to the disease due to a low uptake of the MMR injection - and measles is highly contagious."