A CHECK on 36 tanning salons in Barnsley has found some sunbeds are emitting rays that are only found in outer space.

More than 80 per cent of the 66 sunbeds tested were producing over the legal radiation limit and one in ten were at least four times the legal limit.

It follows Barnsley Council's regulatory services and public health departments completing a project with the aim of helping businesses to comply legal requirements and to test radiation levels from sunbeds using specialist equipment.

Officers visited all known sunbed businesses in the borough and offered advice and information about the levels of radiation emitted from their sunbeds, the potential effects of sunbed use on health and the importance of controlling sunbed use.

One of the main issues raised was the public and supervisors not fully understanding the potential risks to health associated with using sunbeds without adequate protection.

It was also found that most of the sunbeds businesses rely on their customers to clean after themselves and as a result most of the sunbeds were dirty and had dusty vents.

Some of the sunbeds had broken electrical parts including starters and lights and some businesses did not offer free eye protection to customers.

Where appropriate, businesses were advised to upgrade equipment and amend their operating systems. Officers warned businesses that any further non-compliance may result in enforcement action being taken.

Coun Roy Miller said: "It is disappointing to find such high levels of non-compliance.

"The legal levels of irradiance of 0.3W/m2 represent sun strength at midday at the equator.

"Sunbeds well above this level are blasting customers with rays that are only found in outer space. The levels found are literally out of this world."