Why you really should take your shoes off in the house: The soles are infested with diarrhoea-causing bugs

Trainers are full of potentially lethal bugs that have been picked up on travels
These can multiply and spread on carpets on floors when they are walked on
Just touching the infected surface could land someone with the stomach bug
Not taking your shoes off before entering someone's house is a notoriously bad habit.

But new research suggests that those guests who keep their trainers on aren't only just showing a lack of respect.

In fact, researchers at the University of Houston claim that they could be putting you at risk of diarrhoea.

Shoes are packed full of harmful bacteria picked up as people travel and these can multiply and spread on carpets and floors.

And just touching the infected surface could land you on the toilet for a couple of hours with the embarrassing stomach bug.

Study author Professor Kevin Garey said: 'It's amazing how far humans travel during the day, and all that walking drags in germs and bugs.'

Along with a team of researchers, he looked into the prevalence of C. diff by taking 2,500 samples around the city.

Some 26.4 per cent of shoe soles tested positive for the bug, which can also cause painful stomach cramps.

This is about triple the amount that can usually be found on bathroom and kitchen surfaces, Wall Street Journal reports.

WHAT IS C. DIFF?

Clostridium difficile, also known as C. diff, is a bacterium that can infect the bowel and cause diarrhoea.

The infection most commonly affects people who have recently been treated with antibiotics, but can spread easily to others.

C. difficile infections are unpleasant and can sometimes cause serious bowel problems, but they can usually be treated with another course of antibiotics.

This comes after a University of Arizona study found an average of 421,000 different forms of bacteria on shoes.

Coliforms, which are found in human faeces, were traced on the bottoms of 96 per cent of shoes in their research published in 2008.

Chemicals used in farming or toxins you throw on your lawn can also make their way in to the home via your shoes.

A study by Baylor University in 2013 showed people who live near asphalt roads sealed with coal tar had an increased risk of cancer from toxins as they were brought in to the home by their shoes.

While in October, British experts discovered handbags and makeup bags may contain unsafe levels of potentially lethal bacteria.

Laboratory tests showed accessories as little as six months old are prone to collecting salmonella and Cronobacter strains.