The Budget will be take place on Wednesday 26 November, the chancellor has announced.

Rachel Reeves confirmed the date that she will outline the government's taxation and spending plans to pay for things such as hospitals, schools, the military and the police.

It comes as the chancellor faces mounting pressure to balance the public finances, while trying to boost economic growth and maintain the confidence of investors on financial markets.

Economists have warned tax rises or spending cuts must be made if Reeves is to maintain her borrowing rules, given growth has been sluggish and inflation, the rate at which prices rise, has been increasing.

Labour pledged in its election manifesto to not increase taxes on "working people", which included VAT, National Insurance (NI) and income tax.

At the Budget last year, the chancellor increased the amount of NI employers have to pay, which led to a backlash from many businesses and sectors, such as hospitality.

Given the government's pledges, speculation has grown over what taxes Reeves could increase, which suggestions ranging from a windfall tax on the profits of banks to various property taxes or reforming the council tax system.

And with long-term borrowing costs reaching their highest level since 1998, it is getting increasingly expensive to service government debt, eating up what little financial buffer - about £10bn - the chancellor has.

Reeves confirmed she has instructed the government's independent forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to begin the 10-week process of producing a new economic forecast based on her policies for the end of November.

The OBR's assessment of the government's plans is seen as a key factor in ensuring financial markets remain stable and investors, who typically loan the UK money, maintain confidence in the UK economy.

The reports of various policy plans have led to uncertainty in recent weeks and some economists had suggested the government should end uncertainty over possible changes with a fast turnaround Budget in October.

Instead the government will take two and a half months to decide the detail of what is expected to be a tax-raising and reforming statement.

Treasury sources said the end of November was in line with typical timing for an Autumn budgetary statement, and that it left time for the "full process" involving the OBR.

The first stage is for the OBR to deliver a new baseline forecast for the UK later this month, which will incorporate a critical new assessment of long-term productivity.

This move alone could open up a difficult hole in the public finances, on top of existing announced U-turns on welfare cuts, and the impact of higher government borrowing costs.

The OBR will tell the Treasury how much taxes will have to rise by or spending will have to be cut by in order to meet the chancellor's borrowing rules.

The government will then outline likely measures to the forecasters who will assess how much they are forecast to raise or to cost the exchequer.

Reeves has two rules on government borrowing, which she has repeatedly said are "non-negotiable". These are:

• day-to-day government costs will be paid for by tax income, rather than borrowing by 2029-30
• to get debt falling as a share of national income by the end of this parliament in 2029-30

Last month, the independent National Institute for Economics and Social Research think tank said that the overall gap in the public finances could reach as much as £50bn a year.

It pointed to the need to re-establish what it calls "a large buffer" for Reeves to avoid missing her self-imposed borrowing rules.

In recent days long-term borrowing costs across the world have increased, amid concerns about political uncertainty, levels of debt, and a structural shift in pension funds away from such bonds.

The chancellor will have to balance the books, produce a set of policies that will pass her backbenchers and also promote reforming policies that help jump start sluggish growth.

The leaders of China, Russia and North Korea appeared in public together for the first time in a show of solidarity at a massive military parade in Beijing.

President Xi Jinping said the world faced a choice between peace and war as China unveiled a huge arsenal of weapons, including nuclear missiles with a global reach.

Thousands of soldiers paraded equipment on Wednesday, demonstrating China's military modernisation programme. The huge display commemorated 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

On the sidelines, President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un met; with Putin praising Pyongyang for sending soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

• BBC correspondents react to China's military parade
• What new weapons on show say about China's military strength
• North Korea's Kim arrives in Beijing with daughter

Putin and Kim joined 24 other dignitaries in China who had been invited to Beijing parade on behalf of Xi.

Former top leaders of China also stood at the Tiananmen viewing platform - but notably absent was former president Hu Jintao.

South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung did get an invitation, but turned it down; while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who met President Xi earlier this week - was also not present.

Among the world leaders attending were Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif, Vietnam's Luong Cuong and Zimbabwe's Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Most Western leaders opted not to attend China's "Victory Day" parade.

The two that did make the journey - Slovakia's Robert Fico and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia - posed for photos with Putin after the main event.

They all watched on as around 50,000 spectators - all vetted in advance - attended the parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

President Xi inspected thousands of soldiers from different branches of the Chinese military who had gathered on Changan Avenue.

Laser weapons, robotic "wolves" and giant underwater nuclear drones were among new weapons on display.

China also showed off its stealth attack drones, dubbed the "loyal wingman", as they are capable of flying alongside a manned fighter jet and aid it in its attacks.

Thousands of doves and balloons were later released into the skies above Tiananmen Square to mark the end of the parade.

Guests then enjoyed a lunch reception at the Great Hall of the People and could choose between a red or white Chinese wine.

President Xi gave a toast to say the world must "never return to the law of the jungle"

He did not address any Western nations specifically in his five-minute speech, but Chinese officials have previously called the US a "bully" for its imposition of tariffs on countries around the world.

Xi added: "We sincerely hope that all countries will draw lessons from history, value peace and work together to... create a brighter future for humanity".

He concluded by toasting to "common prosperity for all humankind".

Putin and Kim then held bilateral talks at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in a meeting which lasted two-and-a-half hours.

The pair discussed North Korea's contribution in the Ukraine war and reflected on an agreement struck last June between the two nations.

It is now estimated that up to 15,000 thousand North Korean troops have joined Russian soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine.

North Korea has also supplied Russia with ammunition. In exchange, North Korea is believed to have received money and help with weapons development.

Donald Trump, who did not attend, took to his social media platform and accused his President Xi of conspiring against the US with Russia and North Korea.

"Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America," Trump posted on Truth Social.

Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov rejected any suggestion of a conspiracy against the US, according to Russian state media.

Ushakov called Trump's words "ironic" and said Putin, Xi and Kim are "not even thinking about a conspiracy against the United States" and that the three leaders understand Washington's role "in the current international situation".

Topshop will return to the High Street, five years after it closed all of its UK stores.

The brand is going to be available in 32 John Lewis shops from February 2026, while its menswear brand Topman will be available in six stores.

The chain disappeared after the collapse of Sir Philip Green's retail empire, which owned Topshop as well as Burton and Dorothy Perkins.

The Topshop brand was bought by the online retailer Asos, which sold its majority stake last September to the Danish retail tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen and is now in the midst of a major comeback.

Asos currently sells Topshop and Topman products on its website and a standalone Topshop site was recently relaunched, but it was unclear if the brand would ever reappear on the High Street again until recently.

"Customers absolutely want to see us back in stores and we want to bring that nationwide," said Michelle Wilson, managing director of Topshop and Topman.

The new Topshop spring collection will feature 120 pieces, curated by John Lewis.

The brand will be given a "prime" position in stores, according to Peter Ruis, Managing Director at John Lewis.

He said he hopes the partnering with the iconic brand will bring new customers through the department store's doors, and believes people will be queueing to get in when range is launched.

"I think the best fashion brands are multi-generational. The brilliance of Topshop is it is so affordable," he said.

The upmarket store Liberty London in Soho recently started to sell a small Topshop collection.

But the tie up with John Lewis is the first nationwide partnership for the brand, and the fashion retailer, which had its heyday in the 2000s and 2010s, wants to introduce some standalone stores in future.

Topshop struggled during the covid-19 pandemic, when it had to close its physical stores, but it had been having problems for several years.

It failed to keep up with changing shopping habits among its key demographic – teenagers and young adults – primarily the rise of online shopping.

And as its core customers aged out of its products, it struggled to replace them with new shoppers or adapt its products to its old base's tastes.

Graham Soult, a retail consultant, said the partnership between John Lewis and Topshop was "a canny move for both brands".

"If you're Topshop, you've got a customer base who have a real affection for the brand," he said. And for John Lewis, "it gets the name out there in a positive way" and draws in new customers.

"Maybe this will be a template for how you bring back an iconic name."

Fresh warnings have been issued by police forces and councils across the country after a rise in parking scams over the summer.

From fake text messages about unpaid tickets to tampered car park machines that secretly steal your card details, fraudsters are becoming increasingly creative.

BBC scams expert Nick Stapleton told Morning Live there are easy ways you can protect yourself so you don't fall victim to some of the most common tricks.

1. Check your fine has these three details

Genuine parking notices always contain certain details.

"Real parking fines will include vehicle registration, the time of the offence and the location it happened," Stapleton says.

"If it doesn't have these three things then it is a scam.

"A genuine fine will always come in writing and will be left on your windscreen, handed to you in person or arrive in the post."

There are three types of fines you may receive - a penalty charge notice issued by the council, a fixed penalty notice issued by police usually linked to offences such as speeding and a parking charge notice issued by a private company.

Parking charge notices "aren't technically fines, they're invoices for breaching parking rules", so you don't always have to pay them but "check carefully before refusing to pay".

2. Don't click on links in texts

If you get a text out of the blue saying you owe money for an unpaid parking ticket, stop before you click. One of the most common tricks is a fake text or email demanding payment for an unpaid fine.

These texts usually come with a link you are told to click on to pay the fine and "use urgent and threatening language to make you panic", Stapleton says.

Some scam texts might say your licence will be revoked if you don't pay for the ticket but "that's not how it works, you won't lose your license".

Some links in these scam texts take you to websites that look like official government ones.

If you're not sure a website is legitimate you can "click around on the other links".

"If you click through on other links on the page you'll notice that they don't work and that's a clear sign it's a clone site," says Stapleton.

3. Restart your device and change passwords

If you have clicked on a suspicious link, don't despair - but do these three things:

• Restart your device: A lot of the links allow a scammer to gain remote access to your device. If you restart your phone or laptop it will kill the connection

• Change passwords: If you've filled in your details on the link make sure you change your passwords to any accounts with money in

• Call your bank: Inform your bank's fraud department about the message, the link and what information you gave

You could also consider installing antivirus software then run a search to see if any malware has been installed.

4. Check for skimming devices on parking machines

A new scam, which is increasing according to the UK's national fraud reporting centre Action Fraud, targets people paying for parking at machines.

Fraudsters attach a physical device to a contactless payment reader on a parking machine and when you try to pay, the machine displays a "card declined" message.

"While you walk off to try another machine, the skimming device has already stolen your card details," Stapleton explains.

Here's how to check whether the machine has been tampered with:

• Look for an extra sticker: Check there is no extra sticker or item placed on top of the contactless payment button

• Verify Branding: Look for the correct logos and branding. Scammers often use stickers with mismatched logos

• Trust Your Instincts: If something looks or feels suspicious, do not use the machine

"Contactless readers should look like they're part of the machine. If something looks bolted on or mismatched, it's best not to risk it," he says. "Always trust your gut."

If you do feel like there's something not quite right with the machine you can pay in cash instead or through a parking app.

Watch Morning Live to get the full details on how to protect yourself from the scams

'These victims have been failed'

A theft charge against a man who was accused of stealing flowers from tributes left to Ozzy Osbourne in Birmingham city centre has been dropped.

The charge against Parviz Jafari was withdrawn by prosecutors after a court was told a security guard had granted the 45-year-old permission to take the flowers.

Mr Jafari, from West Bromwich, spoke only to give his personal details during a four-minute hearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court, where he was told he was free to go.

He was charged in August following reports of a theft among thousands of tributes left near the Black Sabbath bench and mural following Osbourne's death in July aged 76 from a reported heart attack.

The court was told a review by the Crown Prosecution Service found there was no realistic prospect of conviction, because it could not be proved the defendant had been dishonest when he took the flowers.

District Judge Wain told MrJafari: "Please stand, sir. The matter having been withdrawn, you are free to go."

Osbourne's family viewed the tributes on 30 July after a public procession in which the heavy metal star's body was driven past his childhood home and through his home city.

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China has unveiled a range of new weapons, drones and other military hardware in a massive parade that many see as a clear message to the United States and its allies.

The event saw Xi Jinping host more than 20 foreign heads of state, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, both of whom rely on China for economic support and more.

It was a display of Xi's growing power on the world stage, and of China's military prowess - the show included the "Guam killer" missile, the "loyal wingman" drone and even robotic wolves.

Beyond the hype and shiny new weaponry, what did we learn?

Here are our five takeaways.

1. China has a lot of weapons. How well can it deploy them?

What was clear from Wednesday's display was that China has been able to quickly produce a diverse range of weapons.

Ten years ago, the military technology they put on show tended to be "rudimentary copies" of far more advanced equipment invented by the US, notes Michael Raska, assistant professor in the military transformations programme at the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore.

But this parade revealed a more innovative and diverse range of weapons, particularly drones and missiles - a reflection of how advanced their defence-industrial complex has become.

China's top-down structure and significant resources enable it to churn out new weapons faster than many other countries, points out Alexander Neill, an adjunct fellow with the Pacific Forum.

It can also produce them in huge quantities, giving it a battlefield advantage where it can overwhelm the enemy.

"China has the ability to churn out munitions, ships, all these platforms... the state can just make these directives and off they go," Mr Neill says.

But how well can China's military integrate these weapons systems?

"They can show off these flashy advanced platforms, but are they organisationally agile to use them in the way they want to?" Dr Raska asks.

He adds that it won't be easy because the Chinese military is massive and untested, given it has not been involved in a significant war for decades.

2. China is focusing on missiles to counter the US

China has rolled out plenty of missiles, including some new variants.

These include the Dongfeng-61, which is capable of carrying multiple warheads in its nosecone; the Dongfeng-5C intercontinental ballistic missile which could be launched from northern China and hit the US; and the "Guam Killer" Dongfeng-26D intermediate range missile, which could hit key US military bases in Guam.

There were also several hypersonic anti-ship missiles such as the YJ-17 and YJ-19, which can fly very fast and maneuver unpredictably to evade anti-missile systems.

There's a reason for this focus on missiles.

China has been developing missiles and rocket forces as a key part of its deterrence strategy - and to counter the US' naval superiority, Mr Neill says.

The US Navy is unrivalled in the world with the largest fleet of aircraft carriers and carrier strike groups - China still lags behind on that count.

But, Mr Neill points out, some in the Western defence community are increasingly arguing that these strike groups are vulnerable, as they are effectively "sitting ducks" for any missile attacks.

Beijing is not only strengthening deterrence, but is also creating a "second strike capability," he says - a country's ability to launch a retaliatory strike if attacked.

Other notable weapons included the much-talked about LY-1 laser weapon, which is basically a giant laser that could burn or disable electronics or even blind pilots; and an assortment of fifth-generation stealth fighter jets including the J-20 and J-35 planes.

3. China is going all the way with AI and drones

There were a wide range of drones, some of them AI-powered, but the one that grabbed eyeballs was the AJX-002 giant submarine drone.

Also known as an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle (XLUUV) measuring up to 20m (65ft) in length, it could possibly do surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

China also showed off its GJ-11 stealth attack drone, dubbed the "loyal wingman", which can fly alongside a manned fighter jet and aid it in its attacks.

Besides an array of conventional aerial drones, there were also "robotic wolves". Experts say these could be used for a variety of tasks from reconnaissance and sweeping for mines, to hunting down enemy soldiers.

The drone display shows a clear direction that China wants to take with its military strategy, where it "not only wants to augment, but replace traditional structures".

It has clearly taken lessons from the Ukraine war, where one can "just throw drones at the enemy" to wear down their defences, Dr Raska notes.

"Alacrity in the kill chain matters," adds Mr Neill, pointing out that in a fast-moving battle, decisions have to be made in "nanoseconds" to defeat the enemy and gain the upper hand – which is what AI can do.

Many countries are still concerned about deploying AI in their military systems and asking "how comfortable are we in putting AI in the kill chain", he adds.

But China is very comfortable with that, Dr Raska says. "They believe they can control AI. They are going all the way to integrate it into their systems."

4. China may have the technology, but the US still has an edge

The parade clearly shows that China is catching up quickly with the US in its military technology, and has the resources to build up a huge arsenal of weapons.

But the US still maintains an edge in terms of operations, experts say.

The US military "excels" because there is a "bottom-up" culture where units on the ground can make decisions as the situation evolves and alter their fighting strategies, Dr Raska notes. This makes them more agile in a battle.

China, on the other hand, is "top-down" where "they can have flashy platforms and systems but they will not move a finger until they receive an order from the top", he adds.

"The Chinese think its technology that creates deterrence. They believe that will deter the US... but at the operational level, there have been instances which show they may not be as good as they say they are", Dr Raska says, pointing to recent encounters such as an incident last month when a Chinese warship rammed one of its own smaller vessels as they confronted the Philippine coast guard.

5. The parade was a weapons sales pitch – and a chance to show the US a united front

With the leaders of more than two dozen countries invited to the event, the parade of weapons and tanks was essentially a giant sales pitch on Chinese arms to potential buyers, Mr Neill points out.

Some of the countries in attendance such as Myanmar are already known to be buying huge quantities of Chinese weapons. But the chance to sell to new customers or increase orders is how the Chinese government can extend its influence globally, Dr Raska notes.

Among the key clients were those standing front and centre with Xi – Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.

The three presented a united front as they walked to the parade together and stood on stage.

That was a message to the US, Mr Neill says: if America wanted to really challenge them it would mean "fighting them on several potential theatres at the same time – the Korean peninsula, Taiwan Straits, and Ukraine".

"And if you consider it, putting pressure on the US on all three domains, it may fail in one of those theatres."

A landslide has killed at least 1,000 people in the remote Marra Mountains in western Sudan, according to the rebel group The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army.

Days of heavy rain triggered the landslide on Sunday, which left just one survivor and "levelled" much of the village of Tarasin, the group said in a statement.

The movement has appealed for humanitarian assistance from the United Nations and other regional and international organisations.

Many residents from North Darfur state had sought refuge in the Marra Mountains region, after war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forced them from their homes.

Civil war that broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the RSF has plunged the country into famine and has led to accusations of genocide in the western Darfur region.

Estimates for death toll from the civil war vary significantly, but a US official last year estimated up to 150,000 people had been killed since hostilities began in 2023. About 12 million have fled their homes.

Factions of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, which controls the area where the landslide occurred, have pledged to fight alongside the Sudanese military against the RSF.

Many Darfuris believe the RSF and allied militias have waged a war aimed at transforming the ethnically mixed region into an Arab-ruled domain.

Lawyers for Jair Bolsonaro will present their defence arguments at his trial at the Supreme Court in Brasília on Wednesday.

The former Brazilian President governed the country from January 2019 to December 2022, and is accused of leading an attempted coup after his defeat in the 2022 presidential election.

On Tuesday, the judge presiding over the trial alleged that Bolsonaro had tried to install a "veritable dictatorship" after losing to his left-wing rival, Luiz Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro has denied the charges and denounced the trial against him as a politically-motivated "witch hunt".

The former president was not in attendance at Tuesday's session, which marked the start of the final phase of the trial.

The panel of five Supreme Court justices is expected to reach a verdict by 12 September. If found guilty, Bolsonaro could be sentenced to more than 40 years in prison.

His lawyer cited health reasons for Bolsonaro's decision to follow Tuesday's proceedings from his home in Brasília. The 70-year-old ex-leader was stabbed on the campaign trail in 2018 and has experienced recurrent health problems ever since.

Brazil's prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, outlined the charges against the former president and his seven alleged co-conspirators in the opening session.

They have been charged with leading an armed criminal organisation, attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, an attempted coup, damage to federal property, and the deterioration of listed heritage - charges which they deny.

The allegations date back to before Bolsonaro's supporters stormed government buildings on 8 January 2023.

Following an extensive investigation, police alleged that Bolsonaro and his seven co-defendants had been planning acts to abolish the democratic rule of law and keep him in power as early as 2019.

Police say he had "full knowledge" of a plan to assassinate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva - who at the time was the president-elect - along with Lula's running mate and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

One of the eight men on trial, Bolsonaro's former top aide Mauro Cid, has signed a plea deal, agreeing to provide evidence in exchange for a lighter sentence.

According to prosecutors, some of the most damaging evidence they have against Bolsonaro comes from information provided by Cid.

Cid's lawyer spoke at the session on Tuesday and stressed that his client had not been coerced into striking the plea deal, thereby rebutting accusations that his testimony had been extracted under pressure.

One of Bolsonaro's lawyer, Celso Vilardi, said in Wednesday's session he would respond "point by point" to what Cid's lawyer had said.

Once all the defendants' lawyers have taken their turns to speak, the justices will cast their votes one by one. This is likely to happen in one of the sessions scheduled for next week.

A majority of three out of the five votes is needed to find a defendant guilty.

Each judge can then recommend a sentence for those found guilty.

Bolsonaro and his co-defendants can appeal to the full Supreme Court if found guilty.

Healthy Secretary Wes Streeting has said ministers may need to "look at" laws concerning online speech, following the arrest of comedian Graham Linehan.

The health secretary said such laws had put "more expectation on police" and "diluted the focus and priorities of the public", adding "that's obviously something we need to look at".

Streeting told the BBC it was "very easy for people to criticise police" who were only enforcing laws that had been passed by MPs, saying ministers wanted police to focus on street crime rather than posts on social media.

His comments come after the Father Ted co-creator was arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of inciting violence in posts on the X website.

The arrest prompted a backlash from figures such as author JK Rowling and opposition parties including the Conservatives, who branded the arrest an "absurd infringement of free speech".

Downing Street declined to comment on Linehan's arrest on Tuesday, saying it was "an operational matter for the police".

But a No 10 spokesperson added: "The prime minister and the home secretary have been clear about where their priorities for crime and policing are, and that's tackling anti-social behaviour, shoplifting, street crime, as well as reducing serious violent crimes like knife crime and violence against women."

When asked about the Linehan case on the BBC's Today programme, Streeting echoed those words.

"As the prime minister and home secretary have been clear, we want the police to focus on policing streets rather than tweets," the health secretary said.

"But the thing we are mindful of, as a government that backs the police to keep us safe, is that police are there to enforce the laws that we as Parliament legislate for.

"So if over the years, with good intentions, Parliament has layered more and more expectation on police, and diluted the focus and priorities of the public, that's obviously something we need to look at."

Pressed on whether the law should be changed, Streeting said: "When it comes to speech, context is king. We do have to, as legislators, tread really carefully when it comes to boundaries of free speech."

Streeting said it was "hard for the police sometimes, because they have to apply the law as written, not the law as it was intended".

He also said "we are all - let's be honest - quite anxious" about some of the arrests and prosecutions over comments online.

Streeting added: "And you think, is that really what Parliament intended when we wrote these laws? So we've got to get the law right. Police are there to enforce the law that parliament makes."

Mr Linehan, 57, said he had been detained by five armed officers at Heathrow Airport after flying in from the US.

He said in an online Substack article that officials then became concerned for his health and took him to hospital.

The Metropolitan Police said that a man in his 50s had been arrested on 1 September at Heathrow Airport and taken to hospital.

The police said his condition was not life-threatening and he was bailed pending further investigation.

In his Substack article, Mr Linehan said his arrest was related to three posts on X from April, on his views about challenging "a trans-identified male" in "a female-only space".

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch was critical of the arrest, saying: "Sending five officers to arrest a man for a tweet isn't policing, it's politics. Under Labour, we routinely see burglary, knife crime and assaults go unsolved, while resources are wasted on thought-policing."

But new Green Party leader Zack Polanski told BBC Newsnight the posts were "totally unacceptable" and the arrest seemed "proportionate".

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is expected to raise the Linehan case and rail against "censorship" in the UK, when he gives evidence to the House Judiciary Committee in the US on free speech on Wednesday.

Separately, Mr Linehan is also facing a separate charge of harassment - which he denies - and is due to appear in court on Thursday.

The government is planning a new law in England to stop anyone under the age of 16 buying energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and Prime from shops, restaurants, cafes, vending machines and online.

Up to a third of UK children are thought to consume these types of drinks every week, despite most supermarkets having already introduced a voluntary ban.

Some popular drinks contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said he was acting on the concerns of parents and teachers and tackling the issue "head on", to protect young people's health.

Lower-caffeine soft drinks, such Diet Coke, are not affected, and neither are tea and coffee.

A consultation will now run for 12 weeks to gather evidence from health and education experts as well as the public and retailers and manufacturers.

TV chef Jamie Oliver has repeatedly warned of the dangers and disruption energy drinks can cause, with kids coming into school "bouncing off the walls" having had energy drinks for breakfast.

"We are talking about three, four shots of espresso in one of these things. Loads of sugar. So an absolute nightmare," he said in a video posted on X last year.

Excessive consumption is linked to headaches and sleep problems.

Too much caffeine can cause a rapid heart rate, abnormal heart rhythms and seizures too.

Although rare, there have been some deaths linked to excess caffeine.

Under current labelling rules, any drink, other than tea or coffee, with over 150mg of caffeine per litre requires a warning label saying: "High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women."

Young people have smaller bodies and their brains are still developing, which can make them more sensitive to caffeine, say experts.

For most adults, up to 400mg of caffeine a day, or about four cups of instant coffee or five cups of tea, is safe.

"By preventing shops from selling these drinks to kids, we're helping build the foundations for healthier and happier generations to come," said Mr Streeting.

Prof Steve Turner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said a ban was the "next logical step" in making children's diets more healthy.

And Prof Amelia Lake from Teesside University, who has studied the drinks' impact on young people's lives, said they had "no place" in the diets of children.

"Our research has shown the significant mental and physical health consequences of children drinking energy drinks.

"We know these drinks are part of youth culture and associated with sports, gaming, music and more, but there is a lack of clear signalling about their health consequences."

But Gavin Partington from the British Soft Drinks Association said manufacturers had already led the way with self regulation.

"As with all government policy, it's essential that any forthcoming regulation is based on a rigorous assessment of the evidence that's available," he added.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are also considering a ban.