Scurvy leads to spots on the skin, particularly the legs, as capillaries break down. There is cracking and bleeding of the lips, nostrils and ears. Gums go spongy and teeth fall out.

Wounds cannot heal properly, and old scars reappear. There is internal haemorrhaging and left untreated, victims will die.

Conservative health spokesman Stephen O'Brien, who uncovered the figures, said: 'It is shocking that this disease of 17th-century pirates is on the rise again in 21st-century England.'