Just one in five people recognise the symptoms of Parkinson's, according to research.

And one in six think that the condition is the same as dementia.

The findings, published ahead of World Parkinson's Day on April 11 also show that nearly 85 per cent of people in the UK wouldn't know how to care for a loved one with Parkinson's.

Almost two people every hour are diagnosed with the condition in the UK.

Sarah McEwan from home care provider Cera, which commissioned the study, said: "Parkinson’s is a disease that impacts the lives of thousands of people in the UK. And while it continues to affect families day in day out, it’s clear that people often struggle to pick up on some of the early signs of the condition. Whilst there may be an understanding around core symptoms such as tremors, rigidity and slowness of movement, there is a distinct lack of knowledge around other key early indicators. Handwriting getting smaller is very common, but it’s often missed by family members who don’t know what to look out for.

“World Parkinson’s Day is a fantastic way of raising awareness of this illness and letting people know what symptoms to look out for and what they can do to help a loved one with Parkinson’s Disease."