THOUSANDS of people are putting themselves at risk of a stroke by dismissing their passing symptoms as 'just a funny turn', when in fact they are a mini stroke.

A new report by the Stroke Association reveals only a fifth (22%) of people experiencing symptoms of a mini-stroke dial 999.

The charity says if all mini-strokes were treated in time, around 10,000 strokes could be prevented annually and the NHS and care services could save more than £200million.