SCIENTISTS have called for a government crackdown on pesticides that they warn are putting pregnant women at greater risk of having children with cancer.
The researchers say studies have shown that pesticide exposure either before conception or during pregnancy increases the risk of childhood cancer.
Writing in a report for the Chemicals, Health and Environment Monitoring (Chem) Trust, they have called on the government to step up action to ban the most harmful pesticides and to bring in a duty for the public to be informed before spraying takes place.
Professor Andrew Watterson of Stirling University, one of the authors, warned that as well as putting children at risk, the pesticides posed a threat to farmers
The Soil Association has urged the government to ban pesticides linked to honeybee deaths around the world.
Beekeepers worldwide have reported catastrophic losses of from 30% to 90% of their honeybee colonies during the last two years. Two-thirds of all major crops rely on pollination, mainly by honeybees.