There are health concerns about excessive artificial tanning

Councillors in Caerphilly agreed to remove all suntanning equipment at its premises throughout the county.

The authority said it had a duty to improve public health, and would be gradually phasing out all tanning facilities by March 2006.

Figures for the last financial year reveal that sunbeds operated by the council brought in �80,000.

It will be looking for ways of replacing the lost revenue as the beds are withdrawn.

In the meantime, the council has assured the public that beds which are still being used will be "rigorously monitored" in keeping with guidelines issued by the Institute of Sport and Recreation managers.

That will ensure that access to sunbeds was controlled and that no-one could be exposed to too much UV light.

"The council is promoting safe and healthy lifestyles for residents," said David Hardacre, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for Education and Leisure.

Sunbeds are often used as a shortcut to a tan

"Therefore we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw sunbeds."

Concerns about the safety of suntanning equipment - particularly research linking the use of sunbeds to skin cancer and other health problems - has prompted many local authorities across the UK to withdraw facilities.

In October 2003, Anglesey became the first county in Wales to do so, and other councils have been seeking advice before they make a decision.

Research carried out by the Welsh Local Government Association in 2003 found there was no common policy in Wales for the removal of sunbeds.

Of the 18 out of the 22 Welsh authorities which responded, 17 still provided them, with Anglesey being the only exception. The majority had provided sunbeds for more than 10 years. At the time, a third were removing them or were planning to do so.

The study showed that the revenue generated ranged from �6,000 to �123,000 a year, though more than half the authorities reported revenue had fallen in recent years.

Aromatherapy

Three authorities said they were scaling down sunbeds by not renewing leases as they expired.

The phasing out meant that revenue from the beds was not suddenly lost, and it would be gradually replaced by revenue from other facilities introduced, like complementary health treatments including aromatherapy and massage.

In a report to Caerphilly's cabinet, director of education and leisure David Hopkins pointed out that the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health had again raised the issue of the role of local government in protecting and improving public health, and had called on councils to phase out sunbeds.

Also, he added : "The British Medical Association (BMA) does not recommend the use of tanning devices for cosmetic purposes because of the potential risks to health associated with their use."

The BMA has warned that the use of sunbeds may result in "acute and chronic health effects" on the skin and eyes.

It recommends that sunbeds should never be used by people who :