A KIDS’ transgender clinic has been accused of carrying out a “live experiment” on children as young as three.

The NHS facility, which saw 2,519 youngsters last year — up from 94 in 2010 — gives many patients powerful drugs to block puberty.

2 Children as young as three are being given powerful drugs like puberty blockers at an NHS clinic after being diagnosed as transgender Credit: Getty

These make it easier for them to have gender-changing surgery.

But at least five clinicians have quit the centre over fears that vulnerable kids are being ­prescribed the therapy too soon.

Whistleblowers say there is little evidence of its long-term effects.

They worry that gay children struggling with their sexuality are being wrongly diagnosed as transgender. Meanwhile Oxford University professor Carl Heneghan is also raising concerns.

The director of its Centre of Evidence-based Medicine told The Times: “Given paucity of ­evidence, the off-label use of drugs [for outcomes not covered by the medicine’s licence] in gender dysphoria treatment largely means an unregulated live experiment on children.”

The NHS Gender Identity Development Service is run in London and Leeds by the Tavistock and Portman Trust. It is the only facility of its kind in the UK.

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A spokesman said of the ­puberty-blocking drugs: “There is little reported evidence of harm.”

But Stephanie Davies-Arai, of parents’ group Transgender Trend, said: “Their use will have serious life-long effects such as infertility.”

The Sun recently revealed that one child a week in England starts on the drugs via the NHS.

2 Concerned Oxford University professor Carl Heneghan said because of a lack of evidence the off-label use of drugs is 'an unregulated live experiment on children'

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