Simon Wigglesworth, deputy chief executive of Epilepsy Action, said more research was needed, particularly given the "small sample size and the inconsistencies in the data collected".

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The London-based Science Media Centre, which assists reporters when major science news breaks, posted an entire page of criticisms, most notably its poor design, the use of tumor prone rodents, the small sample size and the selective presentation of data.

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Where bills are higher, such as in the South West, they appear to be less keen - although the small sample sizes in these areas mean that the data needs to be treated with caution.

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Our sample is small, but the message was consistent and we treat these new data points as a yellow flag.

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