Burger King Holdings will reportedly halt advertising to children and showing fast-food adverts in between children’s television programmes in the UK.

The new voluntary policy will take effect from 22 December.

Ofcom – regulator for the UK communications industries – is set to announce official restrictions on junk food commercials in the UK, with the Food Standards Agency backing a blanket ban before 9pm.

Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the British Medical Association (BMA), said: "Ofcom's ban on junk food advertising during programmes targeted at under-16s does not go far enough. Some of the most popular programmes among the under-16s are soaps, which will not be covered by this ban.

"We are in the midst of an obesity epidemic and must use all the weapons in our armoury to prevent the next generation of British children being the most obese and unhealthy in history. Ofcom clearly believes that TV advertising has an effect on children's eating habits, yet it does not have the courage to recommend a more comprehensive ban."