MPS warn Whirlpool over 1m ‘fire risk’ driers

Up to one million defective tumble dryers are potential fire hazards in British homes due to manufacturer Whirlpool’s “inadequate” response to the discovery of a defect, a parliamentary report has found.

The House of Commons business committee demanded “urgent action” from the firm to resolve a problem that has led to at least 750 fires since 2004.

The committee called on the Government to consider establishing a single National Product Safety Agency, amid fears that cuts have undermined local trading standards agencies. It accused ministers of “watering down” recommendations for an overhaul of the product recall system in 2016.