NURSERIES and childminders in North Yorkshire and York are being urged to update their first aid skills.

St John Ambulance said knowing what to do in an emergency could be the difference between a life saved and a life lost.

A recent survey by the charity, which is the UK’s leader in first aid training, found that about a quarter of people would not know what to do if a child sustained a burn from oil in a frying pan or choked on a piece of food.

Now St John is offering a two-day Early Years First Aid course focusing on the type of emergencies that may be faced by childcare professionals including teachers, au pairs and the leaders of playgroups.

The 12-hour courses meet the standards required by Ofsted and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

The dates for the courses are June 12 and 19 in York, June 26 and July 3 in Thirsk, and June 28 and 29 in Scarborough. To find out more, phone 08700 10 49 50.