The mayor of Rio has dismissed calls for the Olympics to be cancelled or postponed because of the spread of the Zika virus.

Health experts have warned that it would be irresponsible to go ahead with this summer’s tournament, as the mosquito-borne disease can cause serious birth defects if a pregnant woman is infected.

However the city’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, insists that visitors to Rio in August will be safe.

He said: “People thinks it’s like Ebola that happened in Africa three years ago, but it’s not like that, it’s not a big issue.

“People can come and I know the British, they will love Rio as they did in the World Cup.”