Experts have issued a stark warning about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental health of children and young people.
Psychiatrists at Cambridge University are calling for urgent action to ensure that this generation is not disproportionately disadvantaged by Covid .
They claimed a number of studies have shown moderate increases in mental health problems and depressive symptoms in under-18s during lockdown.
The experts added urgent referrals for eating disorders in England had doubled in 2020, with a similar pattern detected for all mental health referrals.
Experts believe children and young adults - the most common sufferers of eating disorders - are fuelling the rise.