Tuberculosis vaccinations should be made available to every baby born in Britain as part of the battle against rising levels of the deadly disease, say lung specialists.

Infection rates in parts of the country have reached the levels at which the World Health Organisation recommends mass vaccination and doctors have warned the number of TB cases could continue to spiral out of control.

In a meeting at the British Medical Association, paediatric infectious diseases expert Dr Delane Shingardia said parents in all major British cities should be offered TB vaccinations for their babies.

"We are seeing more babies and children infected with TB than before and this is very worrying," Dr Shingardia said.

TB hotspots include Brent, Haringey, Hackney and Tower Hamlets. But the highest rates of the disease are in Newham, where there are 200 cases per 100,000 people - more than in India.

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