TRADING standards officers are probing the safety of electric blankets in the town next week.
An electrical expert will be on hand on Monday at Westhoughton Town Hall between 9am and noon, on Tuesday at Ashburner Street Consumer Advice Centre in Bolton between 9am and 5pm and on Wednesday at Horwich Public Hall between 9am and noon.
People are invited to bring their blankets to be checked by the experts. The service is for residents of the borough and is free.
Senior Trading Standards Officer, Stephen Eddy said: "Previous surveys in other areas of the country have highlighted problems such as faulty plugs and wiring and damaged flexible cords. Furthermore people tend to forget how old their blanket actually is.
"Wear and tear and regular folding and unfolding may affect the safety of the blanket. The latest figures available from the Department of Trade and Industry showed that in a year, there were 1002 fires caused by faulty blankets which led to 21 deaths and 266 injuries."
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