People staying away from home should always pack a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm, public health experts in Wales have advised.

Public Health Wales’ Environmental Public Health Team are recommending that everyone take a CO alarm with them when staying away from home.

In the latest Public Health Wales’ Time to Talk Public Health survey, 77 percent of respondents said they had a CO alarm at home.

However, only three percent always take a CO alarm with them when staying away from home, with a further four percent saying they sometimes do.

The majority (85 percent) of respondents said they never take a CO alarm with them when staying away from home.

Dr Sarah Jones, Consultant in Environmental Public Health for Public Health Wales, said: “CO poisoning can kill, and the symptoms and signs can be mistaken for other things such as flu, food poisoning and a hangover.

“But, thankfully, it is easy to prevent.

“At home, it is important to have a working CO alarm and have all heating and cooking appliances checked by a professional at least once a year.

“But it’s also worth having a CO alarm with us when travelling in the UK or abroad.”