OWNERS of tumble driers which have been branded a fire risk have been warned to stop using them immediately by Hereford and Fire and Rescue Service.

If you have one of the suspect machines, sold by US appliance giant Whirlpool and including Hotpoint, Creda, Indesit, Swan and Proline models from 2004 to 2015, unplug it at once and do not use, is the stark warning.

Station Commander Stuart Crebbin said: “When this was fault was first established about a year ago, the advice given was that people should not leave the dryers unattended during use until a technician has been to fix the fault.

"Whirlpool now say that if your tumble dryer is affected by this issue, then you should unplug it and do not use it until the modification has taken place."

More than 750 fires - including one that killed two men - have been caused by the faulty machines, due to fluff accumulating inside and coming into contact with the heating element.

Whirlpool is offering free repairs to the faulty machines, but will not replace them. More than 48,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to force the company to issue a recall.

Station Commander Crebbin said: “People are using tumble dryers more frequently, especially during the colder months, so we would like to issue some advice when using these appliances, in particular never leave a tumble dryer on when you are out of the house."

Among the service's other tumble drier safety tips are: always follow the manufacturer’s instructions; don’t use at night or while unattended; clean the filters regularly to ensure they do not become blocked with fluff; empty the dryer immediately after the cycle; and don’t overload plug sockets: no more than 13 amps in any one socket.

Station Commander Crebbin said: “Having working smoke alarms in your house can save lives. You must ensure you have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home and test them each week."

Whirlpool can find out if their dryer is affected on safety.hotpoint.eu/, safety.indesit.eu/, and safety-swan.eu, or by calling 0800 151 0905.