Health Secretary Matt Hancock has pledged to take "bold action" to protect children as new figures showed rates of childhood vaccinations are now falling for every major illness.

Mr Hancock, who earlier this year said it was possible children could be banned from school, for failing to have their jabs, today warned "devastating diseases can, and will, resurface".

Although the number of jabs routinely offered by the NHS has increased over the past 15 years, this is the first year on record that the rates having every vaccine offered have declined.

Mr Hancock spoke amid growing concern about the rise of the "anti-vaxx movement".

Today's figures show a decline in the proportion of children receiving all 13 NHS childhood jabs.

These include the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine - where rates have reached a five year low - and the jab for diphtheria, tetanus, polio and whooping cough, now at a six year low.

Mr Hancock said: "Falling childhood vaccination rates are unacceptable. Everyone has a role to play in halting this decline.