More cases of measles were confirmed in Wandsworth than anywhere else in south west London last year.

The revelation comes as parents continue to shun the MMR vaccine.

There have been 35 confirmed cases of the viral infection in the last 12 months, compared with just 11 in the whole of 2007 - the highest in 10 years.

This comes after the Wandsworth Guardian reported in November the uptake of measles, mumps and rubella jab was only 70 per cent, compared with a national average of 83 per cent.

This was despite a drive from Wandsworth Primary Care Trust (PCT) to increase vaccination rates.

Nurse Betty Attipoe, lead immunisation nurse for Wandsworth PCT, said: “We are seeing more cases of measles because some parents are choosing not to protect their children with the MMR jab.

“The PCT has been working really hard across the borough to get more children immunised and we’ve already seen our immunisation rate jump from 64 per cent to 80 per cent.

“We need parents to check they are up-to-date with their jabs and if they aren’t to get in touch with their doctor or come along to one of our drop in clinics.”

MMR vaccination rates in London are the lowest in the country, with few boroughs reaching the 80 per cent mark, but to avoid an epidemic experts say at least 95 per cent of the population must be immunised.

Worryingly, there were 662 confirmed cases of measles in London in 2008 - more than three times the number for the rest of England and Wales.

Councillor Phillip Beddows, of the borough’s health overview and scrutiny committee, said: “It is completely incredible that we are in the 21st century and we have such low levels of immunisation, we are putting our children at risk.

“When I was at school we lined up for whatever injection was going and bang you were immunised. So why is it we have gone backwards?”

Vaccination rates plummeted in 1998 when a report by Canadian surgeon Andrew Wakefield suggested a link between the MMR jab and autism. But a recent investigation by the Sunday Times found Wakefield changed his data to make it appear this way.

Although Wakefield has been discredited, the influence of his report does not appear to have gone away.

Wandsworth PCT has now opened weekly evening and weekend drop-in clinics to urge parents to get their children immunised.

They will be at Tooting Bec Medical Centre in Macmillan Way from 3pm to 7pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 9am to 12pm on Saturdays.

Parents with concerns about immunising their children should call the Immunisation Helpline on 020 8254 8393.