Every child with a tumour in Britain will have their cancer DNA sequenced so they can get the best possible drugs and help the UK catch up with treatment in Europe and the US.

The charity Children with Cancer UK has today announced £1.5 million in funding so that from today youngsters can be screened and given treatment which is far more effective and less toxic.

Sequencing tumour DNA allows doctors to match drugs specifically to the genetic code of cancer, which could mean some children would be spared chemotherapy if it was found to be ineffective for their disease.

Similarly if their cancer was found to be driven by a particular gene, drugs which target the specific problem could be given.