A Titchfield family have had their worst fears confirmed after being told that their daughter was at high risk from contracting deadly diseases despite being vaccinated against them.

Wayne and Sharon Gooch of Verger Close, spent hours fretting over whether to allow their one-year-old daughter Maddison to have the controversial mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) jab to protect her from the life-threatening diseases.

Eventually, given the reports of the possible link with autism, the Titchfield couple felt it was a risk they weren't prepared to take and opted to pay for single jab protection at a private clinic.

Now health experts have warned that thousands of children who were immunised at the Elstree Aeromedical Centre in Hertfordshire where Maddison was taken could still be at risk because the inoculations were administered incorrectly.

Department of Health spokesman Dr David Salisbury said the clinic had made up batches of the vaccines in advance, against manufacturer's guidelines.

However, the news came as little shock to Maddison's family as they had already made the discovery. Months after the jabs were administered a health scare meant Maddison was taken to hospital where a blood test revealed she was not immunised against any disease.

Mr Gooch, 27, said: "I couldn't believe that none of them had taken.

"The worst thing was that we thought she was protected from these diseases but all the time she was at risk from them, which scared us as she had started nursery where kids can pick up anything.

"We took the decision in the first place to have the jabs done separately because we felt we couldn't risk Maddison's health."

The clinic, with another one in Sheffield, has since been closed on the advice of the National Care Standards Commission.