The British Heart Foundation (BHF) have found that crisps and sweets banned from TV advertising are on sale in vending machines accessible by children who swim and keep fit at their local leisure centres.

The study found that the average calorie content of vending machine chocolate and snacks was 203 calories, which would take a seven-year-old 88 minutes of swimming to burn off.

The BHF also found that children's meals offered by leisure centres where dominated by junk food options, including burgers, chicken nuggets, sausages and chips.

The British Heart Foundation are now asking that leisure centres - both privately owned and council run centres - stock their vending machines with healthier options, including fresh fruit and water rather than crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks, items that have been banned in all school vending machines since 2007.