Outdoor play key to addressing rise in rickets, says charity

"One of the major issues in this epidemic is that children no longer have regular access to outdoor local playable spaces and that parents feel that our towns and neighbourhoods are not safe to let children play on their own," she said.

With play earmarked for cutbacks, the case had to be made that it was an important frontline service for many families, she added.

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Professor Nicholas Clarke of the University of Southampton has warned of the growing incidence of rickets, which is caused by vitamin D deficiency and children not spending enough time outside.

"In my 22 years at Southampton General Hospital, this is a completely new occurrence in the South that has evolved over the past 12 to 24 months," he said. "We are seeing cases across the board, from areas of deprivation up to the middle classes, so there is a real need to get national attention focused on the dangers this presents."