A natural oil which is found in oregano could be the key to fighting the deadly hospital superbug MRSA, which has already claimed the lives of thousands in the UK.

Scientists found that small quantities of carvacrol, a naturally occurring compound in oregano, is a more effective antimicrobial agent than 18 pharmaceutical drugs it was compared against.

Carvacrol can sterilise septic water, kill giardia, treat fungal infections - such as candida - and rivals pharmaceutical antibiotics such as streptomycin and penicillin in its ability to eliminate microbes.