Plans to cut £200m from local authority public health budgets could lead to a ‘potential disaster' for children's health, according to the Faculty of Public Health (FPH).

A survey of FPH members ahead of their annual conference, which takes place this week in Gateshead, revealed widespread concerns about how the cuts will affect children's health and care services.

More than three quarters (77%) of members said the cuts would affect services to tackle obesity, while two thirds (66%) said anti-smoking programmes would also be hit.