A plan by the UK government for compulsory sex and drugs education for children as young as five has sparked an outcry, with parents' saying it was infringing their rights.

According to the Evening Standard, personal, social and health education will be a new subject on the national curriculum from the age of five, with school children forced to take sex and drugs education at under new reforms.

Most parents and adults thought parents should retain the right to keep their children out of sex education classes up to the age of 16.

Margaret Morrissey, of campaign group Parents Outloud, condemned the government for "infringing parents’ rights".

Presently, parents have a right to withdraw children from classes on sex and relationships until the age of 16.

The government seeks to reduce it to 15, meaning all children will receive at least one year of sex education before they are legally allowed to leave compulsory education.

It said the government plan could cause problems for Catholic schools, which may be forced to educate pupils about homosexuality and contraception, which have been opposed by the Roman Church. - DC