St JOHN Ambulance is urging Exmouth parents to brush up on their first aid skills as the school holidays get into full swing.

St JOHN Ambulance is urging Exmouth parents to brush up on their first aid skills as the school holidays get into full swing.

They say that accidents at home during the school holidays could be more serious then they need be, or even prove fatal, due to a lack of first aid skills among local parents.

Sixty four per cent of parents can only deliver basic first aid according to new research, while almost 30 percent admit their skills are restricted to little more than putting on plasters.

The survey was carried out by Elastoplast which is working with St John to campaign for better understanding of first aid amongst parents.

And the leading first aid training provider runs regular courses to help parents understand what to do in an emergency, from choking and bleeding to full-scale resuscitation.

Sue Petherick from Devon St John Ambulance said: "This is worrying news and we hope people will act now before it's too late and book themselves on one of our courses.

"According to the survey, almost 75 percent of parents feel confident dealing with bruises, cuts, grazes and nosebleeds but the research shows that their first-aid confidence plummets when faced with broken bones, choking, head injuries and other more serious incidents.

"What's more, one in ten parents surveyed have been in a real life emergency situation when they did not know how to help their child.

"This is not an encouraging situation, and particularly with the school holidays approaching, we hope our low-cost short courses will be just what people need to learn new skills. They could save a life."

The Emergency Life Saving Courses run by St John at cost only �20. For further information please contact Sue Petherick at St John Ambulance Devon on 01392 824445 or sue.petherick@devon.sja.org.uk