Sporting injuries cost British employers a staggering #504 MILLION a year in lost wages, a new survey revealed yesterday (weds).

Four million employees phone in sick every year from being left black and blue after taking part in sport and exercise.

The average sportsman or woman takes at least two days off work in an average year - with over one in 20 laid up for four days in the past 12 months alone.

But with well over half of us (57 per cent) getting injured playing sport, it's inevitable that employers will take the hit.

A sprained or twisted ankle is most likely to put us out of action, closely followed by a pulled muscle or black eye, a poll of 4,000 adults by leading sports footwear brand HI-TEC found.

And it seems we only have ourselves to blame - 39 per cent of sportsmen and women said they were solely to blame for their injury.

Over a third of respondents admit they don't know if they are wearing the correct shoes for the sports they are playing with one in 20 admitting to having no idea what footwear to wear.

Football is the game that causes most injuries - the national game accounts for 22 per cent of knocks.

Some of the more bizarre sporting accidents which emerged from the poll included:

* A woman who decided to take up running, but rather than invest in running shoes, she regularly jogged in COWBOY BOOTS - resulting in a badly sprained ankle

* A man who gave up on karate after being given a broken nose and a black eye - by a three-year-old lad

* And a young woman who ended up walking down the aisle with two black eyes after being caught in the face with the ball during a basketball match.

HI-TEC spokesman David Goulding said: ''These results are staggering - most people take part in sport to keep in shape and for the camaraderie so it's frustrating when you injure yourself.

''It's quite alarming the amount of people who injure themselves as a direct result of wearing the wrong footwear.

''This survey highlights how vital it is to wear the right shoes for the sport you play because of the massive impact on your ankles, knees and hip joints, not forgetting your performance - it's really not advisable to go running in cowboy boots.''

An unfortunate 18 per cent of Brits have had to give up a sport they loved due to a long-term injury.

TOP TEN SPORTING INJURIES

1. Sprained / twisted ankle
2. Pulled muscle
3. Black eye
4. Broken arm
5. Broken nose
6. Broken toe
7. Broken leg
8. Broken rib
9. Broken finger
10. Twisted knee

SPORTS MOST LIKELY TO GIVE YOU AN INJURY

1. Football
2. Running
3. Hockey
4. In the gym
5. Rugby
6. Tennis
7. Badminton
8. Hiking
9. Squash
10. Cricket

Source: www.onepoll.com, Sample size: 4,000 adults.