Regulators have halted production at a manufacturer which produces 2.4 million British vaccines.

Chiron, which has its main plant in Liverpool, produces one in six of the 14 million flu vaccines used in the UK.

The Medicines and Health products Regulatory Authority said it had suspended the firm's licence to manufacture Fluvirin for three months with immediate effect because of problems with manufacturing.

The Department of Health claimed that contingency plans would mean patients suffered minimal delays.