Young sun worshippers are risking their lives by “binge tanning”, a cancer charity has warned.

More than a third of under-25s spend more than five hours a day in the sun on holiday, increasing their chances of developing skin cancer, according to new research.

Almost a third of those polled by Cancer Research UK said they would be happy to increase their time in the sun if they did not feel tanned enough towards the end of their break.

Around one in three (29 per cent) would use sunscreen with a low factor to speed up their tanning, 19 per cent would be happy to go without sunscreen altogether and 15 per cent would use products like baby oil.

And 17 per cent think getting sunburnt is just part of the tanning process, while 11 per cent would be prepared to burn if they did not feel tanned enough towards the end of their holiday.

Cancer Research UK dermatologist Professor Lesley Rhodes said: “Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the primary cause of skin cancer and responsible for around 80 per cent of cases of melanoma, the most dangerous kind of skin cancer.

“In addition to the short term discomfort and impact on appearance, sunburn also causes permanent irreversible damage leading to premature ageing and significantly increases the risk of skin cancer.

“Put simply, the more time young people are spending in the sun, the more damage they are doing to their skin.”