A chilling warning has been issued to those who use wood burners or coal fires in their homes, as a new study suggests they contributed to nearly 2,500 deaths in the UK last year. The report also links this toxic air pollution to 3,700 cases of diabetes and 1,500 asthma cases annually.

Wood-burning stoves and open fires are among the largest sources of small pollution particles, which can lead to heart and lung disease, and their usage has surged in recent years. The analysis evaluated the impact of expanding and enforcing existing smoke control area regulations but found this would only prevent around 320 deaths annually and cut healthcare costs by roughly £11m.

Recent research revealed that local authorities received 15,000 complaints about wood burning in the past year, yet only 24 fines were handed out.

Another study published this month suggested that burning wood indoors could cause damage similar to cigarette smoke, linking the growing trend of domestic wood burning to lung damage. Researchers from University College London analysed health data on 11,000 participants in the English Longitudinal Study Of Ageing, property level energy performance certificates, also known as EPCs, and UK census data.

The Guardian reported that Larissa Lockwood, from the charity Global Action Plan, which commissioned the initial research alongside Hertfordshire county council, declared: "We all need to stay warm this winter [but] an open fire or wood-burning stove is the most polluting way to heat a home," adding "Air pollution from wood-burning stoves is cutting lives short and putting people in hospital - the health burden on the British public is simply too big to ignore."

Lockwood insisted that the government needed to bolster the powers of local authorities and provide clear guidance to the public.

Dr Abi Whitehouse, a children's respiratory specialist working in East London, cautioned: "The smoke and fine particles released by wood-burning stoves can worsen asthma symptoms, trigger attacks, and contribute to long-term respiratory issues, consequences that are entirely preventable with cleaner heating choices. It's not just our own homes that will be impacted, but the air that makes it into the homes of our neighbours as well."

Chilling warning to anyone with a wood burner in their home