Every week some 3,900 people are treated in hospital after DIY repairs go wrong.

One person a week is killed in accidents involving ladders and another 40,000 a year require hospital treatment. 70 people are killed and 250,000 people injured every year in DIY-related accidents.

Easter is the traditional start of the DIY season and this is reflected in the sharp rise in DIY-related injuries. According to the latest statistics (the 1998 Home Accident Surveillance data) there were about 47,000 DIY-related injuries between January and March, whilst in April alone, there were 21,000.

The largest single cause of deaths involve ladders (50 deaths). Many of the other injuries involve power tools and electricity.