DON'T wash chicken before you cook it. That's the advice being issued in a campaign to increase awareness of campylobacter, the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK.

More than a quarter of a million people could be struck down by campylobacter this year, the Food Standards Agency is warning at the start of Food Safety Week this week.

Bob Martin of the agency said: “You can't see it, smell it or even taste it on food, but if it affects you, you won't forget it. At its worst, it can kill you.

“People in Sedgemoor can do their part by handling and preparing chicken with extra care – don’t wash raw chicken and cook it properly.”

Further information is available at www.food.gov.uk/chicken