Advertisement

People told to unplug dangerous tumble dryers

People with faulty Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda tumble dryers have been told to unplug their machines until they have been repaired.

The brands' parent company, Whirlpool, has upgraded its warning to customers after receiving enforcement notices from trading standards officers in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

Fire chiefs warned in October that owners of the faulty dryers must stop using them immediately.

But Whirlpool had not issued a product recall and instead told those with an affected dryer they could receive a free modification.

It said the machines were safe to use in the meantime as long as they were not left on unattended.

The company's upgraded warning comes after consumer group Which? formally requested a judicial review of the trading standards department's handling of the alert in December.

The Whirlpool website now says: "Trading standards confirmed, following an internal review by independent experts, that the modification programme remains the most effective way of resolving this issue.

"As a result, we will continue with our efforts to provide consumers with a free of charge modification as quickly as possible.

"If your tumble dryer is affected by this issue then you should unplug it and do not use it until the modification has taken place."

It is thought that 5.3 million machines are affected.

The alert came after one of the machines caused a blaze in an 18-storey tower block in Shepherd's Bush, west London in August.

The fire risk is said to come from excess fluff coming into contact with the heating element.

Alex Neill, Which?'s managing director of home and legal services, said: "Fundamentally, we now believe a full recall is necessary and the Government must urgently address the issues with the product safety system as it shouldn't require the threat of judicial review to ensure that consumers are protected from dangerous products.

"Our advice is to go straight to Whirlpool to demand your machine is fixed, but also try speaking to the retailer you bought it from."

Whirlpool said in March last year it had recruited 650 extra staff to deal with the modifications, which it said it expected to finish by January.

The Local Government Association said in July dangerous tumble dryers are causing three fires a day.