Two tanning salons in Bradford were caught allowing a 14-year-old girl to use their sun beds during a test purchase operation in the city.

West Yorkshire Trading Standards officers visited five shops in Bradford for the week-long campaign, aimed at finding out whether salons were allowing children under 18 illegal access to sun beds.

Since April this year, it has been against the law for businesses to offer sun beds to under-18-year-olds due to concerns over links between UV rays and skin cancer. Salons failing to comply face fines of up to £20,000.

The operation, which also involved environmental health officers, saw test purchase operations carried out at 25 salons in West Yorkshire using the 14-year-old female test purchaser. Sales were made at 11 of the businesses.

The majority of salons that failed the test purchase required the child to fill out a form, for which the correct date of birth was given. However, the form was not checked and the test purchaser was offered use of a sun bed illegally.

Few salons asked for proof of age while one was an un-manned business, relying on CCTV cameras covering the sun bed area to vet customers, which were not being watched when the test purchaser visited.

The overall sales rate of 44 per cent compares unfavourably with other age-restricted items such as tobacco and alcohol where around 15 per cent of retailers sell to children, West Yorkshire Trading Standards said.

Louise Marshall, environmental health officer on secondment to the Health Protection Agency, said: “The test purchase rate achieved in relation to sun beds is of concern. However, as part of the intervention it is now hoped that sun bed studio operators will have a greater understanding of their responsibilities under the legislation.

Ruth Lees, Bradford Council’s principal environmental health manager said: “We are disappointed that some sun bed shops have allowed young people under 18 to use their facilities and we will be doing all we can to re-inforce the message that this is now illegal and a health risk for young people.”