The number of under-fives admitted to A&E in Blackburn for accidental poisoning is considerably higher than the national average, new figures show.

Public Health England said between 2015 and 2017 there were 79 emergency admissions across the borough equating to an average of 239 per 100,000 people.

The numbers have given rise to concern as the average for the whole of England, which are 145 per 100,000 people.

Family safety charity, the Royal Society for the prevention of accidents (RoSPA), has attributed the high number of admissions to the accidental swallowing of household cleaning products.

RoSPA’s acting public health adviser Ashley Martin said: "Due to their inquisitive nature, children under the age of five are most at risk of accidentally swallowing or getting household cleaning products, like liquid laundry capsules, into their eyes.

"Even products with a child-resistant closure cannot guarantee safety – they only reduce the risk by delaying access to the product."

Statistics show that the rate of poisoning for the rest of Lancashire is 264 per 100,000 population, with 546 children under the age of four across the county admitted to A&E between 2015 and 2017.

In the North West as a whole, these figures are 218 per 100,000 with hospitals seeing 2,890 admissions between the same years.

A spokesperson for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and NHS East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group said: "Accidental poisoning can cause a great deal of harm to young children, as their bodies are small and still developing.

"Poisoning is a particular risk for under-fives who are naturally inquisitive: pills that look like sweets and brightly-coloured detergents are hugely attractive to them.

"If you suspect that a child has been poisoned, don't try to treat them yourself. Get medical help immediately. If they don't appear to be seriously ill, call NHS 111 for advice."

Executive member for health and adult social care at Blackburn with Darwen council, Councillor Brian Taylor, said: "These are quite shocking figures, and as a grandparent it's very concerning.

"It's not rocket science really is it – prevention should begin at home, so parents should take responsibility for their children and make sure they are kept safe."

RoSPA is now looking for help from organisations and health visitors in Lancashire to help reduce the number of young children being injured by household cleaning products by launching a campaign called Take Action Today which will aim to reach families with under-fives.

Mr Martin added: "These figures from Public Health England will certainly be an under-estimate due to miscoding, under reporting etc, but we are now highlighting the need to raise awareness of this issue."

The advice for parents includes storing household cleaning products out of reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard and in their original containers with the lids closed, as well as warning them to never pierce or break laundry capsules or tablets.

Further information on the Take Action Today campaign can be found at www.rospa.com