A communal organisation has called on public officials to "do more" testing for diseases that disproportionately affect the Jewish community.

The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) has announced that newborn babies will be tested for an additional four genetic diseases, including maple syrup urine disease, which some studies suggest are more likely to affect Jews.

But Katrina Jacobs-Sarig, executive director of Jewish Genetic Disorders UK, said that health authorities need to "now go forward and think about issues facing the Jewish community".

It is estimated that everyone of Ashkenazi ancestry has a one in five chance of carrying at least one of the main Jewish genetic disorders.