Mayor Joe Anderson has promised to crack down on sun bed salons after a skin cancer charity claimed it has received threats for warning people about artificial tanning.
The council leader said he would look at introducing planning policies to stop the proliferation of sun beds on Liverpool's high streets following a concerning report from Melanoma UK.
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer, and there are thought to be about 80 cases in Liverpool per year.
Mayor Anderson said new rules could include forcing salons to make the dangers of using sunbeds clear to customers in a similar style to cigarette packaging.
He made the comments after Gillian Nuttall, founder of Melanoma UK, claimed the charity was under "severe pressure" from the Sunbed Association over its campaign to ban sunbeds - a claim the trade body disputes.
Speaking at a Health and Wellbeing Board meeting in the Town Hall on Thursday, Ms Nuttall said: "We don't know where to go from here because they have had a debate [in parliament] based on the work we have done,
"We are under severe pressure from the Sunbed Association. They have threatened us with legal proceedings, instructed lawyers to come after us. Luckily my background is in law. It's stressful, we don't need it.
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"Patients want a ban on sunbeds. The advertising is very dishonest.
"At least if you smoke and you drink you know what you are getting. With the sun beds, there are no proper warnings in those places."
A spokesperson from the Sunbed Association strongly denied the claims.
He said the organisation had sent a solicitor's letter to the charity, but said this was to dismiss claims it had made about the links between sunbed usage and melanoma.
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A petition started by the charity claims rates of melanoma have reduced in Australia after sunbeds were banned there in 2013.
The Sunbed Association says this is factually incorrect and claims it has written to the charity on a number of occasions with evidence to the contrary.
The petition, which called on the UK to ban sunbeds, was closed in January 2019, after gaining over 15,000 signatures. The Government responded by saying it would not be reviewing its current policy.
Ms Nuttall has started a new petition and is seeking to work with local authorities like Liverpool city council to see what else can be done to reduce sunbed usage.
Following her presentation, Mayor Anderson promised the city council would do what it could to limit the use of sunbeds in Liverpool.
He also said he would write to Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's shadow secretary for health and social care, about whether the party could incorporate a ban on sunbeds in its next manifesto.
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He said: "I am more than happy to look at how we can raise the profile of melanoma and the link to sunbeds. There are issues of course around what we can and what we can't do because of national legislation.
"I will look at ways in which planning can limit the proliferation of them or insist that if they open up shop, they have to have a statement that informs people of the risks.
"I will write to Jonathan Ashworth. I will ask him if we can look through our policy and see if we can put this in our manifesto.
"We need national legislation. A complete and total ban is needed.
"This for me is something that needs to be kept very much in the public mind. It has not gone away. "
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Gary Lipman, Chairman of the Sunbed Association, said he respected the right of Melanoma UK to express its views, but said there was "absolutely no evidence" linking "responsible sunbed use" and melanomas.
He described a ban on sunbeds as a "red herring" that "masks the real cause of melanoma", saying: "The campaign’s remarks are not only inaccurate, but irresponsible and deeply offensive to professional salons run by caring owners employing well trained staff."
Mr Lipman said that the Sunbed Association was willing to engage with Melanoma UK, but claimed the charity was not interested in responding, and that was why it had resorted to legal letters.
