MP3 players such as iPods can be dangerous if not listened to responsibly, according to the leading charity for deaf people in the UK.

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) said young people in particular take the safety of their hearing for granted, and so the charity has launched a campaign to raise awareness called Don’t Lose the Music.

Speaking at a visit to Peter Symonds College in Winchester, campaigner Andy Glyde said: “Many students were not aware that they were potentially causing long term and irreversible damage to their hearing by having the volume set just that little bit too high.”

Members of the RNID team invited students to test headphone volume on Derek the Head, a sound measuring device which flashes red, amber or green depending on the level of noise, with green indicating safe levels and red indicating dangerous.

Mr Glyde added: “Many underestimated the level at which their music would be rated – some were very surprised to see that it was coming up red.

“We hope the advice about upgrading their head phones and turning down their volume levels will help them to think more about protecting their hearing now for the future.”