National charity Epilepsy Action yesterday launched a campaign in Norwich to raise awareness of how to help somebody who is having an epileptic seizure.

The Take Epilepsy Action campaign has been brought in after research found that nearly nine out of 10 people (89pc of a sample 2,027 adults) in the east of England would do something wrong in that situation.

That is despite epilepsy being one of the most common serious neurological conditions, affecting more than 41,000 people across the region.

So yesterday, outside the Forum, the charity was giving away free wallet-sized cards carrying first aid information to help people remember what to do if they see someone have a seizure.

Aimee Gee, campaigns manager at Epilepsy Action, said: 'It is worrying that such a large percentage of the British public doesn't know how to deal with seizures. Clearly the lack of public understanding of seizures is having an impact on people with the condition, who are anxious about having seizures away from home.

'It would make a huge difference to people with epilepsy if the general public could recognise different kinds of seizure and knew what to do to help.'

To get one of the cards, call 0808 800 5050 or go to www.epilepsy.org.uk