Family homeless after fire in tumble dryer

A fire in an Indesit tumble dryer has left a family homeless. The machine destroyed their property only weeks after the manufacturer had been contacted.

Anyone who owns an Indesit, Hotpoint or Creda dryer manufactured between April 2004 and October 2015 must check if their machine is affected.

Susan Garnham from Guildford saw flames coming from the back of the tumble dryer. She left the property with her husband and son.

Fire and rescue investigators said the blaze started in the tumble dryer and spread throughout the property.

The Garnhams had been in touch with the parent company, Whirlpool, after it announced that a significant number of machines would need to be recalled because of concerns that they could cause a fire.

As an extra precaution, the company is asking that consumers do not leave their dryers unattended during operation (i.e. do not leave the house or leave the dryer on whilst asleep). They should also regularly clean the lint filter after every cycle and ensure proper venting, "in accordance with the original instructions for use".