Wood-burning stove warning: Health alert for anybody that has a fireplace in their home

Brits have been warned about the important health dangers of using wood-burning stoves in a bid to cut costs on central heating.

Sales of stoves using wood have soared, with more than 1.5 million used in the UK. Many people think that timber logs are a renewable fuel, so better for the environment.

But the reality is that they're not so green-friendly, as trees are not being planted at a rate to keep up with the amount of CO2 released by burning them.

There has been increasing scrutiny on wood burners in recent years, as they have been linked to nearly 50% of people's exposure to cancer-causing chemicals found in air pollution in urban areas and this is despite under 10% of the population owning one.

People have been told wood-burning stoves are not as good for the environment as many think (Yoba Letting Agents)

UK regulations state: "Burning at home, particularly with traditional house coal or wet wood, is a major source of the pollutant PM2.5 – which has been identified by the World Health Organisation as the most serious air pollutant for human health."

Much of the country now lives in smoke control areas, meaning there are restrictions on what can be burnt and the stoves that can be used.

New wood-burning stove laws aim to cut the UK's emissions, with wood burners accounting for 38% of air pollution.

But despite people owning cleaner burning stoves, there are still serious health problems associated with having one in your home.

New wood burners have to meet specific requirements to be sold, but these Ecodesign models still emit a staggering 750 times more tiny particle pollution than a modern HGV truck, the European Environmental Bureau said.

Wood burning in towns and cities contributes to thousands of early deaths each year, forecast to be around up to 38,000 in England alone, reports LeicestershireLive.

Toxic particles in the air, much of which is caused by wood burning, has been linked to health problems such as heart and lung disease, dementia and even mental illness in children.

In a report published by Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, even Ecodesign models in homes produce 450 times more emissions than gas central heating. Though wood burners are normally enclosed, opening its doors to refuel releases enough emissions to to fill a room, which takes hours to dissipate.