North Herts has almost four times as many fires caused by domestic appliances as Stevenage – that’s according to new figures released by the fire and rescue service.

Between April 2015 and March 2017, there were five such fires in Stevenage, compared to seven in the Royston area, six in Hitchin, four in Letchworth and two in Baldock – a total of 19 for the North Herts district.

Tumble dryers are the main culprit, followed closely by dishwashers and cookers.

In response the fire service has urged owners to register their white goods so they can stay up to date about any recalls or safety concerns.

Terry Hone, responsible for community safety at Herts County Council, said: “It might be convenient to put the dishwasher on overnight or to put a load in the tumble dryer when you go out – but if you’re asleep or not in, you won’t spot the signs that something’s going wrong, and you could end up dealing with a serious fire.”

To register your appliance, have a look at registermyappliance.org.uk.