Organisers say a survey of 2,000 adults in support of Fire Door Safety Week (September 25 to October 1), has shown an alarming lack of general public awareness of the essential role of fire doors, which are a legal requirement in all commercial, public and multi-occupancy buildings.

The research, carried out by IronmongeryDirect,  revealed that 61% of people in Cornwall have seen a fire door being illegally wedged open. This compares to the UK-wide statistic which stood at almost one in two people (49%).

19% of respondents in the South West were unaware that fire doors must be kept shut at all times compared to the national average of one in four people (25%).