Washing machine owners must re-check for fire risk

Owners of Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines may have to check again to see whether their model is on a recall list of fire-prone appliances.

An extra three models have been added to the host of machines that may catch fire owing to an overheating door mechanism.

It means that 5,000 more machines are being added to the 519,000 the company is trying to locate.

The company said adding to the list was common in the recall process.

What is the problem?

About 20% of the Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines sold since 2014 are affected by a safety fault and need to be recalled, a process that started earlier this month.

The company says it has identified 165,000 of the problem appliances so far and 70,000 have already been replaced or repaired. It has received calls or had contact from two million people.

Seventy-nine fires are thought to have been caused by an overheating door locking system, a fault which develops over time, according to Whirlpool, which owns the brands.