The 35-year-old also had to withdraw from the marathon at this summer's World Championships because she had failed to recover fully from a foot operation in the spring.

Radcliffe said: "I'm devastated not to be able to compete in Birmingham this weekend.

"The World Half-Marathon is a great opportunity for our athletes to compete in front of a home crowd and I'm disappointed I can't be part of that.

"It's very important to me to be able to pull on a GB vest and do my best in a major Championship but, unfortunately, having developed tonsillitis over the weekend, I'm now on a course of antibiotics."

Radcliffe has been replaced by first reserve Michelle Ross-Cope.

Radcliffe would have been chasing a record fourth victory in Birmingham, having already tasted success in 2000, 2001 and 2003.

She is currently level with Kenya-born Dutchwoman Lornah Kiplagat, champion in each of the last three years but sidelined this year due to a knee injury, while Kenya's Tegla Loroupe won the race in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Radcliffe won the marathon at the World Championships in 2005, but could only finish 23rd at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing after suffering a stress fracture.

A total of 47 countries are set to compete at this weekend's event.
 
This year’s entry is the best since 2004, though the record number of member federations that have taken part in this International Association of Athletics Federations World Athletics Series event was 60 in the 2002 edition which was held in Brussels.
 
Britain last held the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2001, when 52 territories from around the world sent athletes, and also hosted the inaugural edition of these championships on Tyneside in 1992, when 36 federations participated.


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September 2009: Radcliffe to run World Half-Marathon in Birmingham
August 2009: Radcliffe set to run World Half-Marathon in Birmingham