A trial, which would be the largest of its kind, would be taking place to find a treatment for peanut allergies that at times are fatal.

Tiny amounts of peanuts would be given to sufferers to build up tolerance.

About 104 British kids would be administered increasing doses of peanut flour by Cambridge University researchers that will be equal to five nuts a day.

In an earlier study, 20 out of 23 sufferers became capable of consuming about 30 peanuts safely after following this method.

Peanut allergies that affect about one in 50 people in UK causes breathing problems, itching and a potentially fatal inflammatory reaction called anaphylaxis in severe cases.

Dr Andrew Clark said, "This is going to be the largest trial of its kind in the world and it should give us a definitive idea of whether the approach works and whether it's safe."

The pilot study built up sufferers' tolerance to five nuts, or 800 milligrams, which was then taken as a maintenance treatment for at least six weeks.

An earlier study had shot up tolerance of peanuts up to five nuts a day. After a year since the study began 20 of the patients could eat 32 peanuts safely.

"This is very exciting, clearly, because here we have somebody who can have anaphylaxis and deadly reaction from trace amounts, and you're converting this person into somebody who can tolerate a significant amount of the food," said Dr. Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, associate professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.