Is YOUR home at risk? ANOTHER tumble dryer 'bursts into flames' as safety fears rumble on
A FURIOUS pub landlady has spoken of her outrage after claiming her tumble dryer burst into FLAMES after being told by the manufacturer it was safe to use.
Sue Fletcher says her tumble dryer burst into flames after being told by Indesit it was safe to use
Sue Fletcher, 45, landlady of the Pheasant Inn, Telford, Shropshire, claims she initially contacted Indesit when she noticed the machine was on a list to be recalled in November last year.
Ms Fletcher claims that Indesit staff told her the dryer would be fine to use so long as it was not left unattended, and so believed her staff would be able to dry towels used in the pub during shifts.
But on Tuesday, she said her staff discovered the machine had caught fire during a routine drying cycle and had to use a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze.
The pub has since been left with smoke damage and despite assurances for customer services that somebody would contact her, Ms Fletcher claims has not heard from Indesit.
I have three sons and the drying really mounts up with them
The mum-of-three said: "We have had the tumble dryer for about 12 months and use it for drying things like towels that we use in the pub.
"When I saw that our dryer was wanted on recall back in November, I contacted customer services who told me that they would send out an inspector to look at it.
"I was told that in the meantime, the dryer should be alright to use, so long as it wasn't left unattended. We only use the dryer during pub service anyway, so there are people walking past it all the time.
The pub has since been left with smoke damage
"They said not to leave it going overnight or leave it when there would be nobody to keep an eye on it.
"But on Tuesday, one of my staff went down to the cellar to find that it was on fire and had to put it out with an extinguisher. The pub has since suffered smoke damage.
"Somebody was due to come and inspect the machine on Monday. When I contacted customer services, they told me that it was a serious incident and somebody higher up would contact me.
She had to use a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze
"But since I had that conversation, nobody has been back in touch and I'm just waiting to hear back from them, I'm not happy about it at all.
"It's not just the cost of the tumble dryer that I am annoyed about, it's also all of the hidden costs getting things back to the way they were.
"I have three sons and the drying really mounts up with them, so it's hard not to have to use one."
It emerged recently that tumble dryers cause nearly one fire a day
Faulty Tumble Dryer sets house on fire and leaves a family homeless
In November, the American Whirlpool Corporation revealed a fault affecting more than 100 of its Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda models which could cause fires if fluff came into contact with the heating element.
Whirlpool Corporation, Indesit's parent company, has been approached by Express.co.uk for comment.