My terror when dryer burst into flames

SELENA Hall was woken from a nap last month by a loud bang. As smoke filled her home, she rushed downstairs to discover her Candy tumble dryer had burst into flames mid-cycle.

The mother of one, who had owned the appliance for just over a year, managed to pull out the clothes before dialling 999 and getting out of the house.

Miss Hall, 34, a plumber from Beckton in east London, said: ‘There was a fire in the bottom of the dryer. I was terrified.

‘As a plumber I knew not to throw water on the flames, but how many people know that? I think there needs to be more awareness about the dangers of tumble dryers.

‘I took good care of it and regularly cleaned the filters, so I can’t understand why this happened. It was a terrible experience and could have been so much worse. It could have happened while my daughter and I were sleeping – we could have died from the toxic fumes.’

Candy Hoover said it was investigating the incident but insisted: ‘All of our products are fully compliant with safety standards.’