A woman was left horrified as her electric blanket went up in flames as she watched TV. Lesley Redgrift, 65, says she will never buy another blanket after the incident.
The mother, from Grimsby, was watching TV at around 8.30pm on January 18 when she noticed smoke rising from the heating device. She says she was left shaken up by the ordeal, which left a hole in her dressing gown.
Lesley's daughter, Tina, had bought the electric blanket on eBay for her mum's birthday in a bid to save her money amid rising energy bills, Grimsby Live reports.
Tina said: "I bought the blanket for my mum's birthday to try and save her some money with the current gas prices. Her husband had gone to bed because he works early in the morning, and my mum was sitting and watching telly with it on her knee.
"She said she saw some smoke rising, and when she lifted the blanket up she realised it was actually on fire. She had a thick dressing gown on and it burned the pocket of her dressing gown.
"It didn't even shut off. She quickly unplugged it and ran outside the back patio out the back and chucked it on the ground and just stamped on it."
Tina claims the incident left her mum mentally scarred and cautious of using another electric blanket which she has owned for several years. She added: "She was absolutely shaken up, she wouldn't buy one again. She's now very cautious of her other electric blanket which she has on her bed, but she's had that a few years.
"My dad has one of those blankets but it's a different one, a really expensive one, but he now switches it off when he goes outside for a cigarette because you just don't know.
"It was only a couple of nights before that I had slept over at my parents house and I had the new electric blanket on me while I was asleep. It's scary."
The daughter says she feels guilty as the birthday gift with good intentions almost ended up having dire consequences. Tina said: "I felt guilty because I'd bought her that for her birthday - I nearly set her on fire for her birthday. But she said not to worry, that she's got plenty of lives left. She said, 'It'll take more than that to kill me off'."
Following the incident, Tina said she contacted the seller and was sent an immediate refund. The product has also been removed from their listings on eBay.
Lesley says she was also told to choose a dressing gown from their website for the company to send her at no cost. Tina continued: "[My mum] was out that door like a shot, but someone less able?
"That reflects on why they've taken it off sale. They have done the right thing. But you think, if you're buying from overseas, you'd be a bit more dubious, but you'd think with them being a UK seller, they'd be a bit safer. It's frightening.
"I dread to think if that was an elderly lady or someone in the wheelchair - they'd have no chance. My mum is going back to using her hot water bottle now."
Tina confirmed that she has also reported the incident to Trading Standards. Grimsby Live have contacted The Online Home Shop for comment on the incident.
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