BRADFORD has been named as the district that is the fourth biggest hotspot for fast food restaurants in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The research, carried out by Public Health England, found in the Bradford district there are 142.1 fast food outlets per 100,000 people, and a total of 757 outlets.

Bradford ranked behind Scarborough, which has the highest density of fast food restaurants, Hull and Kirklees on the list.

Bradford has the second highest number of outlets - which can range from pizza shops to burger bars, chicken shops or fish and chip shops - in the region, only behind Leeds.

Scarborough, which has 151.6 outlets per 100,000 people, only has 164 fast food outlets, possibly reflecting the high number of fish and chip shops as it is a seaside destination.

Hull, which has a density of 150.7, has 392 outlets, and Kirklees has 624 shops at a rate of 143.4 per 100,000 people.

The research by Public Health England also found almost half of fast food outlets are found in the most deprived 30 per cent of areas in the country.

The body is calling on Councils to do more to restrict where fast food outlets can open to limit the exposure children get to fast food, in the hope they will make healthier eating choices.

Bradford Council said it already enforces regulations which do not allow fast food restaurants to open within 400 metres of schools, a rule which has been in place since 2014.

It said fast food is typically high in salt, calories and saturated fat, which can all cause serious health problems is eaten too often and in large quantities.

Creating healthier environments with less fast food shops could help tackle obesity and health inequality, said Public Health, and more than a third of children in England are overweight or obese when they leave primary school, with the figure even higher in deprived areas.

Corinne Harvey, from Public Health England, said: “It’s not surprising some children find it difficult to resist the lure of fast food outlets when many neighbourhoods are saturated with them.

“Local authorities have the power to help shape our environment and support people in making healthier choices. and it’s great to see councils in our area taking action.”

Coun Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s executive member for Healthy People and Places, said: “Bradford takes a firm stance on this issue.

“We brought in a planning restriction of no takeaways within 400 metres of a school in November 2014.

“Since then, the Council has refused over 40 applications for takeaways that would have flouted this restriction.

“We are mindful of balancing the need for businesses to thrive with the drive to promote healthy eating, which is why we have worked over the last three years with existing takeaways to reduce the salt, fat and calorie content in their meals.”