An award winning medical scientist based in Old Windsor has bad news for people using lockdown to enjoy the sun.

They could be doing themselves serious damage.

Sujata Jolly, whose clinic Clinogen Laboratories is in Robin Willis Way, Old Windsor, is warning that the reduced levels of pollution caused by lockdown - while welcomed - have also caused the sun's ultra violet levels to rise dramatically with potentially lethal effects for sun bathers.

She said: "This means burning could occur within as little as 15 minutes. So it's important to limit exposure to the sun and take extra measures to protect yourself.

"You should wear the appropriate clothing such as long sleeves, long trousers or dress and a wide-brimmed hat – preferably with protective fabric which limits penetration of UVA and UVB rays."

Mrs Jolly, 72, lives in Wraysbury. Her husband Parmod is also a scientist. She started her own company while bringing up her daughters Sapna and Super - going on to win the 2016 Medical LiveWire Global Award for Innovative Wound Healing after inventing a spray called Youki which creates a protective film around injured skin, warding off infections.

She has talked openly in the past about the sex discrimination she endured as a young woman as she tried to break into the male dominated field of chemical and industrial research.

She said: "It was tough but I was determined to go it alone. I was trained in medical sciences and had a particular interest in dermatology so was committed not to let that training and my ideas go to waste."

They certainly have not. Her products have helped people combat a range of distressing skin complaints.

But Youki is a game changer, particularly in the treatment of diabetic ulcers that can threaten amputation.

Now she is one of the country's leading dermatologists and has been advising people how to cope with the sun under lockdown in a national newspaper.