Warning to UK households with gas oven in kitchen as hospital cases rise

Households who have a gas oven in their kitchen have been issued a warning as hospital admissions increase for a condition linked to the cookers.

A study has revealed that air pollution inside and outside homes is now affecting people who have COPD - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

COPD causes breathing problems, wheezing and coughing up phlegm for sufferers and they suffer exacerbations when their symptoms worsen.

Now COPD is the second largest cause of hospital admissions in the UK, with 1.4M GP visits and 29,000 deaths per year.

A study handed 76 COPD sufferers devices to measure air pollution. The team found that nitrogen dioxide concentrations increased the risk of exacerbating their illness, with gas hobs one of the main sources to blame inside the home.

Professor Alastair Lewis, from the University of York, said: "Burning hydrogen in your will create the same household pollution as using fossil gas, so an electric hob is definitely better, and electric is probably better for the climate too."

Professor Ben Barrat, from the Imperial College London, urged households affected to put in place several important measures while cooking.

He said: "Take simple steps like ventilating your while cooking, not using candles and subscribing to air pollution alerts. If possible, choose an electric cooker over a gas one. Think of these actions as a form of medication to prevent worsening ."