The chef who cooks the "hottest curry" in Leicester is urging people to eat a spicy meal – to help them cool down.

Nisar Kolia, owner and head chef of the Curry House, in Leicester's London Road, said eating fiery food was the best way to beat the heat as temperatures soar.

The 49-year-old said: "The weather here is Indian-hot at the moment so it makes sense to use Indian techniques to cool down."

He said eating a spicy curry would "heat you up inside", which would "balance you with the outside temperatures".

Mr Kolia, who moved to Leicester from Bombay 29 years ago and has been running the restaurant for 12 years, believes his phal is the hottest curry available in the city.

He said: "It has three handfuls of chillies in – that's two more handfuls than a vindaloo – and it's hot. Most people couldn't handle the phal."

Angela O'Sullivan, professor of nutrition at De Montfort University, said: "A spicy curry will cool you down because as you eat your body temperature is raised and the body sweats, which is where you get the feeling of coolness from.

"However, the more you sweat, the more danger of dehydration there is.

"When you are dehydrated you stop perspiring, which means it is a lot harder to cool the body and could lead to heat stroke.

"My advice is to eat lots of fruit and veg, which are full of water, and if you are going to have a curry have a vegetable curry because they are easier to digest and a great way of getting your five a day."

James Moore, 27, from Clarendon Park, Leicester, was not convinced eating his favourite food would help him beat the heat.

He said: "I don't see how food containing so many spices can cool you down. Some of the curries I've eaten would make you sweat in winter, but that makes you feel hotter, not cooler.

"But they do say you should drink hot tea on a hot day, so may be there is something in it."

Leicester Mercury weatherman Dave Mutton said: "I've heard the rumour that hot food cools you down in the heat, so if it's true I'd keep eating curries all week.

"We've had temperatures reaching about 31C this week, which is the warmest it's been this year.

"We'll easily see the 30s again this summer. July and August are traditionally the hottest months so we'll possibly get some even hotter days."

Meanwhile, hospital staff were bracing themselves to cope with the hottest day of the year.

Julian Auckland-Lewis, deputy director of operations at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: "Each hospital directorate has its own heatwave plans and these can be activated when needed. A number are already in use.

"Measures we take to help protect our patients from the heat include moving the most vulnerable to the coolest rooms and ensuring there is plenty of cold water for them to drink.

"They can have extra baths and showers to cool down, too."

He said staff were on alert to be aware of any possible signs of heat exhaustion.

Dr Jonathan Acheson, a consultant in emergency medicine at Leicester Royal Infirmary, said: "Elderly people need to make sure they are drinking plenty of fluids and that they are not dressing too warmly.

"If they do not keep cool, they can quickly become dehydrated."