A SMART bandage that changes colour when it detects infections has been created.

The glowing dressings will provide an early warning that infection is developing in patients - allowing for better and earlier treatment.

Tests are set to begin using samples from burns patients at four UK hospitals.

They will be carried out by scientists at the University of Brighton who will look at how well the dressing will respond to the bacteria that causes infections.

The technology has the potential to detect infection earlier, leading to better treatment for burns patients.

It will also reduce the use of antibiotics, which will help reduce the threat of developing bacteria which is more resistant to the drugs.

The trials will be at Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead and hospitals in Bristol and London, and will use swabs and dressings taken from hundreds of patients before they are sent to Brighton and the University of Bath for further tests.

Brian Jones, a reader in molecular and medical microbiology at Brighton, said: “The dressing technology we are helping to develop here could be of real benefit to many patients.

“This could not only help clinicians provide the best possible treatment for patients with burns, but could also help us understand how wound infections begin and how they affect the normal healing process.”

Currently, diagnosis methods take up to 48 hours and require removing wound dressings, a painful process which can slow healing and cause scarring.

Professor Toby Jenkins, who is leading the study, said: "We believe our bandages have great potential to improve outcomes for patients, reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics and save the NHS money.

"These trials are an exciting and essential step towards getting the bandages into hospitals to help treat people, allowing us to find out exactly how well they work using real samples from patients.

"We hope as many people as possible agree to take part in the trial, which is completely non-invasive."

The nature of burns wounds means the signs and symptoms of infections are common but true infection is rare.

Precautionary courses of antibiotics are often prescribed in cases of suspected infection.

Scientists say the colour-changing bandages will reduce this need, helping to tackle the global problem of bacteria developing antibiotic resistance.

If the trials demonstrate the bandages are effective then manufacturing could begin as early as next year.