DIETICIANS will give advice on the perils of salt at an exhibition in Huddersfield hospitals.

Salt has been linked to stroke and high blood pressure.

Displays are being organised at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and St Luke's Hospital as part of National Salt Awareness Day tomorrow .

They are being organised by Cash (Consensus Action on Salt and Hypertension) dieticians with Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust.

They aim to make patients and NHS staff aware of just how much salt is in a typical British diet.

The main display will be in the foyer at St Luke's Hospital. It will be staffed from 1pm to 2.30pm.

A smaller exhibition will also be staged at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary tomorrow, outside the dietician's office on the main corridor.

Senior dietician Helen Berry said: "Recently the evidence of a direct relationship between salt intake and the progressive increase in blood pressure with age has become clearer.

"It is extremely important that people reduce or control the amount of salt in their diet. Raised blood pressure is a major cause of heart attacks and strokes.

"Up to three quarters of our salt intake comes from salt added to processed foods, yet many people don't realise this and therefore add it to their cooking or at the table. Foods high in salt include pies and pasties, pastries, stock cubes, take- always, ready prepared meals, tinned or packet soups."

An average UK person consumes at least 12 grams of salt per day - double the amount needed.