HALTON residents are being urged to protect themselves against the heat.

Dr Daniel Seddon, Halton Primary Care Trust director of public health, urged residents to avoid sunburn and warned people to take sensible precautions and to safeguard the welfare of older people.

Karen Howell, director of health and social care, said: 'All those who work with older people need to ensure that hot weather does not lead to dehydration and illness in those they care for.'

Shops and supermarkets in Halton increased sales of summer goods during the hot spell. Sales of sunglasses at Boots were up 190% last week on the previous week, while Asda reported a rise of about 50% in sales of sun cream, salad and barbecue food.