Covid and Christmas: Fire safety warning as more shopping online

Electronic items from third-party sellers could pose a fire safety risk at Christmas, a charity has warned.

A survey was conducted as part of Welsh Electrical Safety Week showing almost three in five (57%) of the 1,000 people asked will be shopping online for Christmas this year.

It comes as many are staying at home more to reduce their risk of catching or transmitting coronavirus.

Charity Electrical Safety First warned people to be careful.

Its survey revealed 58% of respondents who plan to shop online are doing so because they believe it is a safer way of shopping than hitting the High Street during a pandemic.

But the charity is keen for them to avoid replacing one risk with another, as multiple investigations have shown dangerous electrical products for sale via third-parties on popular websites.

The charity is urging people to stick to the stores or websites of known manufacturers and retailers such as those found on the high street.

Rachel Kent, 40, from Rhuddlan in Denbighshire, said a fire believed to have been caused by a laptop battery broke out in her home.

She said: "My laptop was on a hard table, charging for a few hours. I heard a very loud crackle and 'bang' from the laptop.

"Panicking, I fled into the garden, taking my dogs with me and looked in horror to see the laptop go 'bang' again and catch fire, spreading along the table.

"I was terrified by what was happening and called 999... crews arrived incredibly quickly and extinguished the fire, saving many of my possessions despite some serious damage to the table and the wall."

Ms Kent said she felt lucky her children had been staying with their grandmother at the time, especially as the fire happened late in the evening.

"If they'd been in the house at the time the fire would have been between them and myself which is absolutely horrible to think about.

"My pet dogs also had a lucky escape, being down in the kitchen with me at the time."

Ms Kent said she had bought the laptop battery from a third-party seller in an online marketplace.

"I was told it was the battery of the laptop that was at fault.

"The experience has taught me not to buy electrical products from online marketplaces again - I'll be sticking to reputable retailers."