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The majority of men do not wash their hands after going to the toilet, a disturbing study has revealed, leading to a warning over the spread of bugs.

Professor Adam Hart said 94 per cent to 96 per cent of people claim they practice good hand hygiene.

However, in studies where people are directly observed, the level of handwashing tends to be much lower.

Read more:Do you know your poo?: Doctors encourage Brits to stay healthy by breaking toilet taboo

Observations in 2003 found 39 per cent of women and 63 per cent of men did not wash their hands after using a public toilet.

As a result Professor Hart, from Gloucestershire University, warned that we should think twice about shaking people's hands, to avoid the spread of germs.

He said: "Poor hand hygiene is a major cause of all food-borne illness outbreak, yet very few of us wash our hands properly, while almost none of us do so on a regular basis.

"Overall, it's fair to say that, at best, only one in 20 people you meet has washed their hands in anything like an effective way.

"And, arguably, in terms of effective bacterial removal, no one has washed their hands."

In his new book, The Life of Poo, he also advised keeping your toothbrush at least two metres away from the toilet to prevent bacteria getting on it when you flush.

He explained: "Dirty hands are not the only route for disease-causing bacteria to infect you: don't forget the 'killer' toothbrush in your bathroom.

"It's well-known that flushing the loo creates thousands of tiny water droplets containing bacteria and that some can end up on nearby objects, such as your toothbrush.

"The NHS therefore suggests that we close the lid before flushing and store toothbrushes upright, more than two metres from the bowl."

But the scientist was quick to stress that most of the bacteria in and around our loos probably won't do us much harm.

He added that the chance of ingesting sufficient amounts of bacteria to cause any problems was extremely low.

Adam Hart, Professor of Science Communication, said: "I hope that readers will find The Life of Poo humorous and light in tone, but it is packed with the very latest science.

"Whether you are brushing your teeth, having sex, cleaning your bathroom, following the 2-second rule, debating the 5-second rule, guzzling probiotics or just sitting on the toilet, this book is likely to be of interest to you."

The Life Of Poo by Professor Adam Hart, will be available from October 8 priced £12.99.