RESEARCHERS claim a new study has revealed no link between the onset of autism and children being given controversial MMR triple vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella.

A Danish study scrutinised health records of almost 540,000 children born between January 1991 and December 1998, 440,000 of whom had received MMR.

Its findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reveal that 316 children had been diagnosed with an autistic disorder and 422 with other autistic spectrum disorders.

The Danish Epidemiology Science Centre team found the relative risks of developing an autistic disorder were similar whether children had received MMR or not. They also found no link between development of an autistic disorder and a child's age when vaccinated.

"This study provides strong evidence against the hypothesis that MMR vaccination causes autism," the report concludes.

However, it is unlikely to convince many United Kingdom parents who believe their children have been damaged by MMR.

More than 2,000 have claimed children have been harmed by MMR and some are suing the manufacturers.

They include Peter and Julie Loch, from Marshfield, who believe six-year-old son Oliver's autism and bowel problems were triggered by an MMR jab five years ago.

Mrs Loch yesterday told the Argus that plans to introduce more multi-vaccines such as MMRV - to combat measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox - are ridiculous and insulting.

She has previously called for an independent inquiry to investigate what might have damaged the children and why.

She has also claimed a review of evidence on the issue, published last summer, which also concluded that no links exist, would receive "short shrift" when cases come to the High Court.

"All it does is look at existing published studies," she said. "Until the government commissions independent, clinical research of actual damaged children, the medical establishment will continue to go round and round in circles, reassuring itself there isn't a problem."

The suggestion of a link between MMR and autism was sparked by Dr Andrew Wakefield in a study published in 1998.

However, since then several studies have concluded there is no evidence that the jab causes children to develop autism.