NORTH-EAST students have been given a timely warning of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning as they return to university.

New research has found that many are continuing to put their lives at risk by living in lodgings where basic checks are not carried out on gas appliances.

More than half of the students quizzed in an online survey by the National Union of Students (NUS) and British Gas said they had not been shown their landlord's Gas Safety Certificate.

The certificate proves that boilers and other equipment have been checked in the past 12 months, and it has to be made available by law.

The NUS urged students in private sector accommodation to adhere to a safety checklist drawn up to prevent deaths such as that of Anne Brennan, from Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside.

Anne, a student at Durham University, died aged 19 in 1995 after she collapsed from carbon monoxide fumes she breathed in at the house she rented in the city.

Her death prompted The Northern Echo to launch its Silent Killer campaign, with the aim of cutting the number of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide has no smell and can cause symptoms such as headaches and sickness.

Students are asked to check with their landlord that gas appliances were properly installed by a Corgi-registered engineer and that they have been professionally serviced in the past 12 months.

They should also check the property has functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

The NUS said many universities already carried out checks on properties on their housing list, but that students should carry out their own simple checks as well.

Read more about the Silent Killer campaign here.