The wet summer has prompted a severe outbreak of ticks and fleas in the countryside, putting people and animals at risk of potentially fatal blood diseases.

Hampshire is the worst afflicted area, with 220 cases of Lyme disease, a blood condition carried by ticks, which in human beings can cause paralysis, blindness and even death. Overall, the number of cases of infection has trebled in the past five years, because of damp conditions and mild winters.

Of all UK cases last year, 45 per cent were reported in Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset.

In animals Lyme disease causes lameness, joint problems and heart and kidney complaints. The figures emerged from research by the animal healthcare brand ProMeris UK, which said that veterinary surgeons had seen a significant upsurge in the number of tick or flea-related problems in pets.

This summer was the wettest since records began in 1914, and Sabrina Stroud, of ProMeris UK, urged pet-owners to be scrupulous in keeping their animals free of ticks and fleas. She said: “Climate change and the damp summer have created the prefect breeding conditions for these potentially lethal parasites.

“During this peak autumn period it is vital that pet owners take a proactive approach to prevention.”

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