TAKEAWAY meals in Preston are a "time bomb" for students and young people with allergies who are leaving home for the first time, according to trading standards chiefs.

It comes after trading standards officers tested 20 chicken korma takeaway meals which claimed to be nut-free.

Eight of the meals contained the ingredient, which can cause an allergic reaction and even death in some people, including foods at four eateries in Preston.

Now officers have launched a campaign to raise awareness and crack down on the problem.

Jim Potts, chief trading standards officer for Lancashire, said: "People starting to cook for themselves, particularly university students, are most at risk because many will eat takeaway meals and it's very difficult to tell whether there is any peanut content.

"In a city like Preston, with such a big student community, it's a ticking time bomb because they all go on nights out and could order a takeaway containing peanut. It's a matter of life and death."

But Mr Potts denied the restaurateurs had been negligent.

He said: "The restaurant owners may be unaware of the problem as one ingredient ordered as almond powder resulted in a delivery of nut powder which also contained peanuts.

"But legally they could be responsible and could be sued if anything serious occurred."

Under the new campaign trading standards will be issuing letters to every restaurant, takeaway and pub in the county, this week, advising them to do more to protect customers who may suffer peanut allergies.

Owners of eateries will be asked to re-vamp their menus with warnings that some dishes could contain nuts and make waiters more aware of the problem.

Mr Potts said: "If a restaurant can't guarantee a dish is peanut-free they should refuse the order or make the customer aware.

"More work is needed because the result of our experiments are worrying but work is being done to make sure this problem is stamped out."