Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) is issuing safety advice after a number of tumble dryer brands are reviewing the safety of their products.

Station Commander Alan Haley from the Community Risk department said “We would urge owners of ‘Hotpoint’, ‘Indesit’ & ‘Creda’ tumble dryers manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015 to check the website http://safety.hotpoint.eu? to see if their appliance is affected and to allow for the manufacturers advice to organise repairs.”

He continued “People are using tumble dryers more frequently, especially now that the weather is cold, so we would like to issue some advice when using these appliances, in particular never leave a tumble dryer on when you are out of the house”.

The Service has issued the following tumble dryer safety advice:

•Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions

•Don’t use tumble dryers at night or while unattended

•Clean the filters regularly to ensure they do not become blocked with fluff

•Items should be removed from the dryer immediately after the cycle and shaken loose to assist cooling

•Don’t to overload plug sockets. Ensure that no more than 13 amps are in any one plug socket.

Station Commander Haley concluded “Having working smoke alarms in your house can save lives. You must ensure you have a smoke alarm on every level of your home and test them each week”.

If you require any further information, please see the Service website www.hwfire.org.uk