A mum has driven across Europe to ensure her nine-year-old daughter receives a Covid-19 vaccine.

Alice Colombo, 44, a public health professional, travelled the 800-mile distance from Tonbridge to Milan through snow last month.

Unlike Italy and other European countries, the jab is only available to under-12s in the UK if they are classed as clinically vulnerable, which Ms Columbo described as "dire".

The mum, who works in Maidstone, said: "I want to, in some small way, put pressure on the government to roll it out to this age group. America, Israel and Germany have done it. We do seem to be an international outlier on this."

Ms Colombo's daughter has dual citizenship, meaning she was eligible to be vaccinated in Italy.

She said: "It wasn't a decision we took lightly. We drove 1,300km in the car, we had to go through Mont Blanc, there was snow.

"I prefer to trust the science rather than take pot lock with a virus we know precious little about, particularly on the long term impact.

"I think we should be doing the maximum to protect everyone and obviously the children themselves.

"Each infection you're preventing, you're preventing somebody becoming seriously ill. The more prevention you can do the better."

Ms Colombo said she recognised that she was in a "privileged" position, as she could afford to drive her daughter, and her child was eligible for the jab in Italy.

She said she was aware of some clinically vulnerable under-12s who had not yet been vaccinated.

She said: "I'm aware I'm speaking from a position of extreme privilege and there are a lot of families in a worse situation than me who according to the government are able to access it but haven't.

"I want to shine a light on the fact there are parents who think like me and who can't get their voices heard."

The UK government said further advice regarding vaccination for five to 11-year-olds would be issued in due course following consideration of additional data.

They added that of all age groups, children aged 5 to 11 years are those at lowest risks of serious Covid-19.