They are now being warned of the dangers of DIY winter roof maintenance by leading professional roofing company JTC Roofing, which claims autumn and winter are dangerous times as the change in seasons makes ageing roofs susceptible to leaks.

The company has called on the government to make it illegal for homeowners to venture up onto their own roofs without professional help.

Around 100 people die, and hundreds more are injured, every year in the UK after falling from or through a roof and while many victims are construction workers and youngsters,

a significant number are homeowners trying to affect a repair.

Experts at JTC believe more could be done to protect the public from the huge dangers of venturing up onto their rooftop to find the source of a leak or to fix a slipped slate.

They say that much of the UK’ s housing stock consists of properties with ageing roofs which are prone to suffering perished slates and tiles.

When mortar and slate fastenings erode over many decades of keeping out the rain they become highly susceptible to water ingress.

But by the time rain water finds its way through ceilings into a family home

it can have migrated many metres from the source of the leak.

JTC warn that many DIY enthusiasts underestimate the difficulty of locating the source of a leak and also fail to appreciate just how risky it can be to venture up onto a roof.

The company has written to Housing Minister Alok Sharma asking for a change to the law to prevent homeowners from taking the matter into their own hands. They say that such a law could save dozens of lives every year.

A spokesman for JTC Roofing said:“ Climbing on to a roof is one of the most dangerous tasks anyone can undertake.

“ Any fall from the roof of a house is likely to result in a serious injury or death so it is vitally important that all homeowners are made aware that they are literally dicing with death when

they decide to go up on the roof.

“ The most common reason why people venture onto their roof is to locate the source of a rain water leak which has come through the loft and seeped

in through an upstairs ceiling.

“ Most DIY enthusiasts fail to realise that the location of the leak inside the house is not a reliable indicator of where the water has come in through the roof.”