Fire service: "Register for electrical item alerts"

More than 300 different recalled electrical items, including phone chargers, adapters, kitchen appliances, hairdryers and washing machines have been recalled since 2011 – but the actual number of returned items is rarely more than 20 per cent.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has attended 117 house fires involving tumble dryers since 2011, with faults with appliances responsible for three quarters of the incidents.

Last year, a major product recall was issued and owners of large air-vented dryers and condensing dryers under the Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda brands were told they may need to have them fixed.

Manufacturers are required by law to notify people if they know one of their products poses a fire risk and needs to be recalled.

But millions of faulty products remain in people’s homes.

SYFR head of community safety Trevor Bernard, said: “Registering an appliance ensures you receive important safety messages about the item you possess.

“For consumers, we know that returning a recalled product is not always convenient, especially if it’s an item that you use every day, but recall notices are issued to keep people safe.

“The small inconvenience of returning a recalled item is worth it when you consider that faulty products can electrocute or cause a fire.”

You can find out whether an electrical product you own has been recalled via the Electrical Safety Council website www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls/.