Sunbed ad banned after claims it does not cause cancer

A tanning advert has been banned for "misleading" claims sunbeds do not cause cancer.

Indigosun.co.uk's website said: "It is a widely-held belief that the use of sunbeds increases the risk of developing skin cancer.

"But now a large-scale study carried out by the University of Leeds in the UK is showing how the opposite is in fact true."

Sunbedban UK, which raises awareness about skin cancer, complained that Indigo Sun had used the study out of context and the ad misleadingly suggested that there was no link between sunbed use and the risk of developing skin cancer.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said: "Given the lack of robust evidence, the limitations identified in the studies and the omission of information about official advice that contradicted the claims, we concluded that the claims in the ad had not been substantiated and were misleading."

It ruled the ad must not appear again in its current form, adding: "We told Indigo Sun to ensure that their advertising did not mislead as to the link between sunbed use and skin cancer."