The fitness levels of British children declined dramatically during the last decade - and research shows that levels are still deteriorating.

Research undertaken by the University of Essex showed that a test group of 10-year-olds tested doing a in a shuttle run in 1998 could easily out-perform a similar group of 10-year-olds in 2008.

According to the report, fitness levels in girls fell nine per cent, while boys suffered a seven per cent drop.

Gavin Sandercock, from the Centre for Sports and Exercise Science at the University of Essex, said: "Children are not doing as much physical activity as before. They are using their spare time to play more computer games, more time watching TV or more time online.

"They don't climb trees any more, they don't use their bikes any more. The drop in fitness is very worrying."

The test group included 600 children.