THE fire service has warned about the dangers of faulty electric blankets after almost a quarter failed safety tests.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the county council's trading standards team last month tested 806 of the blankets and found 191 failed the safety checks.

It is the lowest percentage of failures since the tests began 15 years ago.

But home and community safety manager Stuart Garner said: “While it is really good news that we have seen the lowest failure rate in the history of the campaign, it is vitally important for people to follow guidance to help them ensure that their electric blankets are fit for use.

“The more faulty blankets we can identify and remove means that the number of potential house fires caused by them will go down.

“People can check their electric blankets for wear and tear and they should discard them if they display unsafe features, such as frayed wiring, an over-worn surface or broken power lead fasteners.”

The highest rate of safety failures was in 2000 when 47 per cent of the 805 blankets tested failed.

The campaign, also supported by Cherwell District Council, West Oxfordshire District Council, Age UK Oxfordshire, Green Square, the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Witney Rotary Club, is part of the county council’s 365alive scheme.