Inject-a-tan will challenge the sunbed

Here comes the sun . . . in drug form. Scientists have devised a new compound that could put an end to expensive trips to the tanning salon or risky sunbathing in the back garden.

The drug creates an instant tan but at the same time protects against skin cancer.

Yet there are still downsides: early tests required 30 separate injections and the pilot scheme has left some human guinea pigs feeling sick and faint.

Once this feeling of nausea can be overcome, however, it could become a designer drug for those seeking a permanent tan without the trouble of lying under sun lamps.

When the scientists injected the drug into volunteers in Sydney, Australia, their skin became significantly darker and the sunburn risk was halved.

A compound in the injection triggers the production of melanin, the brown pigment that gives the skin its colour and which acts as a sunscreen to protect the skin from ultraviolet light, the chief cause of skin cancer.