Sir David Attenborough today warned British couples to limit the number of children they have to help quell the ‘frightening’ growth in the world’s population.

The veteran broadcaster said the planet is under ‘mounting pressure’ from an ‘explosion in human numbers’.

Sir David, 82, said families in the UK need to control their number of offspring – a policy already adopted by China where parents are allowed just one child.

He said the environmental problems associated with an increasing population needed to be spelled out ‘loud and clear’ before it was too late.

Sir David’s warning comes as the world’s population is predicted to hit 9.1billion by 2050 – a 40 per cent increase from the current 6.8billion total.

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The UK population currently stands at 61million.

Speaking on behalf of the Optimum Population Trust (OPT), a campaign group that lobbies for tougher immigration laws and sterilisation, Sir David said: ‘I’ve seen wildlife under mounting pressure and it’s not just from human economy or technology but behind every threat is the frightening explosion in human numbers.

‘I’ve never seen a problem that wouldn’t be easier to solve with fewer people. The same problem becomes harder, or ultimately impossible, when more people are involved.

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