The World Health Organisation has been urged to withdraw ‘disturbing’ guidance to schools about ‘sexuality education’ for young children.

Children under four should ‘ask questions about sexuality’ and ‘explore gender identities,’ according to a detailed WHO report aimed at policy makers across Europe.

The official guidance also supports providing information to children under four about ‘enjoyment and pleasure when touching one’s own body, early childhood masturbation.’

And they should also learn skills to ‘gain an awareness of gender identity.’

The same WHO report states children aged between four and six years should ‘talk about sexual matters’ and ‘consolidate their gender identity.’

The controversial 68-page report Standards For Sexuality Education in Europe was first published in 2010 and campaign groups concerned about the sexualisation of very young children want it banned for fear of influencing official sex education policy.

It was consulted by Welsh ministers who last year introduced a mandatory sexual education syllabus to schools in Wales, although the Welsh Government stressed it did not ‘endorse’ the WHO guidance.

Laura Anne Jones, the Tory shadow minister for education in Wales, said the WHO needs to ‘rescind the advice immediately’.

Ms Jones also called for the Welsh government to ‘distance themselves’ from the ‘frankly disturbing’ WHO guidance.

She told the Telegraph: ‘We must stop this pushing of harmful gender ideology into sex education in Wales and the UK, with immediate effect.’

Tanya Carter, of the campaign group Safe Schools Alliance, has demanded an ‘urgent enquiry’ into whether there is a link between ‘RSE curriculum in this country’ and sexual education guidance issued by UN organisations such as the WHO and UNESCO.

Commenting on sexuality education, the Alliance recently warned: ‘We find it extremely concerning that the UN and WHO are promoting an approach that is experimental, unscientific, and appears to be aligned to the work of unethical individuals and organisations, including those promoting the acceptance of paedophilia.

‘We call upon them to revise their standards to align with a safeguarding-first approach that protects children while allowing them to develop a healthy and age-appropriate understanding of sex.’

A WHO spokesman said it stands by its guidance. ‘Our guidelines reflect established psychological facts based on decades of research.’

The document asserts that children embark on sexual education from birth.

It reads: ‘From birth, babies learn the value and pleasure of bodily contact, warmth and intimacy. Soon after that, they learn what is ‘clean’ and what is ‘dirty’.’ Adding: ‘In other words, they are engaging in sexuality education.’

A Government spokesperson said: ‘The Government does not recognise this WHO guidance and we don’t agree with its recommendations. We have not distributed or promoted it to schools.

‘We offer our own guidance to help schools to teach children and young people about relationships and health.’