BEWARE OF THE SLIPPER; They can seriously damage your health.

CARPET slippers can seriously damage your health, a report warned yesterday.

Figures showed they cause more accidents in the home than any other type of clothing.

A staggering 27,771 people landed in hospital in just one year because of slip-ups with their slippers.

That's 11 times more than the number of casualties caused by high-heeled shoes.

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said: "People tend to become attached to old slippers which can be dangerous if the tread wears down and they become slippery.

"Many people like to come home and flop into their favourite clothes and slippers.

"But household chores and perhaps gardening still have to be done.

"People may begin weeding in their slippers and, of course, a fork will do a lot more damage through a slipper than a hard boot.

"Another explanation is the popularity of outsized novelty slippers which may not be appropriate for household activities."

The Government figures were compiled using admission statistics from hospital accident and emergency centres around the country.

They showed around 2.5million accidents happen in the home every year.

Step ladders were the biggest hazard, accounting for 219,392 injuries.

And other obvious dangers like knives and nails were high on the list.

But the survey on accidents in the home, carried out by the Government, proved virtually anything you touch can end in disaster.

Thirty-nine people ended up in hospital after having accidents with calculators, bathroom scales claimed 118 victims, and 237 casualties fell foul of bidets.

Underwear mishaps claimed 374 victims and beanbags 828.

The RoSPA spokesman added: "There is a never-ending list of ways to harm yourself at home with even the most mundane types of items.

"The home is a hidden epidemic, although it is regarded as a safe haven, and the most common mishaps are slips, trips and falls.

"But it is astonishing to see the kinds of accidents that can result from the most seemingly harmless of items."

TOP 10 SLIPPER ACCIDENTS

1 Tumbling downstairs

2 Tripping with bulky outsized novelty slippers

3 Garden forks through the soft footwear

4 Tripping over a pair of slippers.

5 Fighting with dogs who have taken a fancy to slipper

6 Stepping on a nail.

7 Stubbing toes on bedside tables leaping out of bed

8 Skating on polished floors due to worn tread on soles

9 Heavy objects landing on soft or open-toed slippers.

10 Tripping in the dark after jumping up to visit toilet

10 ACCIDENT PRONE CLOTHES

1 Slippers

2 Trainers

3 Sandals

4 Trousers

5 High heels

6 Wellies

7 Shirt/T-shirt

8 Dress

9 Cardigan

10 Coat