Whirlpool issues urgent warning over 735,000 faulty tumble dryers at risk of catching fire

Hundreds of thousands of potentailly dangerous machines remain in UK homes despite recall

Whirlpool has issued an urgent appeal to owners of more than 700,000 potentially dangerous tumble dryers that remain in UK homes despite a recall.

In July, four years after regulators first stepped in, the company launched a full recall involving an estimated 800,000 dryers with a fault that makes them prone to catching fire.

But Whirlpool said just 65,000 owners have since come forward to have their machines fixed or replaced.

The fault affects certain models that were sold under Whirlpool's Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline brands between 2004 and 2015.

Owners of the fire-prone dryers are advised to contact Whirlpool via a dedicated website immediately to obtain a free replacement machine.

Whirlpool said it is vital that owners who think their dryer may be dangerous contact the company “as a matter of urgency”.

The company told a House of Commons committee earlier this year that it had recorded 54 fires in its tumble dryers including three blazes in models that had supposedly been fixed.

But the committee’s report, which looked into the risks of electrical items in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, found that at least 750 fires had been linked to the dryers since 2004.

In a wide-ranging safety campaign that began before the recall, Whirlpool has modified around 1.7 million of its products.

Whirlpool vice president Jeff Noel said on Friday: “We're hugely grateful to everyone who has come forward so far but, if there are people still out there with affected dryers, please contact us immediately.

”Nothing matters more to us than people's safety, so it's absolutely vital that we can identify where these affected dryers are and resolve the issue.

“We can assure consumers that we are doing everything we can and that we can quickly provide a remedy as soon as they get in touch.”

Any customer with an affected model that has not already been modified or replaced can claim a replacement dryer free of charge. Whirlpool will arrange for collection and disposal of the faulty machine.

Alternatively the company will modify the old appliance or offer a discounted upgrade priced at £59 for a vented model or £99 for a condenser dryer, or a refund up to £150 depending on the age of the dryer.

Anyone with an affected dryer must unplug it immediately and stop using it.

Consumers should call 0800 151 0905 or visit ww.whirlpool.co.uk/dryerrecall to check if their dryer is affected.