POPULAR beach tents supposed to protect children from the sun could be worse than useless, according to a scientific study. Only one of 11 tents tested by trading standards officers provided as much protection as a factor 10 sun lotion.
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Even the tents that claimed to meet the minimum European standards failed to provide adequate protection. Only one, from the high-street chain Mothercare, provided the recommended sun protection factor of 40.
The survey was carried out by trading standards officers from ten local authorities in the South West.
Paul Thomas, from Devon Trading Standards, said: “Whether or not there is a specific statement on the product claiming a sun protection factor, we are concerned that the way the shelters are marketed suggests they provide protection. These beach tents are now the subject of further investigation.”
Tests were also conducted on adult and children’s clothing to determine how much sun protection they actually provide.
European standards now state that an item of clothing is expected to have the equivalent effect to factor 40 sun cream, although this is not yet a legal requirement.
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Some T-shirts tested had an SPF as low as 7, and that fell to 4 when the shirt was wet. A sarong sold as beachwear also had an SPF of just 4.
Testing of sun protection products became an annual event for trading standards departments in the South West after a test two years ago on a child’s sun hat found that it provided almost no protection.
The protection offered by an item of clothing such as a T-shirt can also be affected by how old and worn it is.
Roy Connelly, of Devon County Council said: “We were concerned about how confusing the messages about sun protection have become. It is clear from our tests that some clothing and cover-ups that people could reasonably expect to protect them are actually providing very little protection at all.”
Exposure to ultra-violet radiation is responsible for skin cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Britain. Medical experts say that people who get sunburned in childhood have a 50 per cent greater chance of developing melanoma in later life.
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Melanoma is the third most common cancer in 15 to 39-year-olds. Doctors believe that four out of five cases could be prevented by proper sun protection. As 80 per cent of the average person’s total lifetime exposure to ultra-violet rays occurs before the age of 18, children who have delicate skin are particularly vulnerable.
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