A MALDON woman fears her tumble dryer could go up in flames after fire authorities have appealed for urgent recall of five million units.

Diane McCallum, of Milton Road, Maldon, is trying and failing to get a replacement for her Hotpoint Condenser dryer, which is one of the faulty models warned can ignite when on cycle, linked to thousands of fires caused by excess fluff contacting heating elements.

In November last year, maker Whirlpool warned significant numbers of their 30 million machines in UK households could pose a fire risk.

In June, the Local Government Association (LGA) called for full recall of units made between April 2004 and September 2015, as Government statistics show there were 2,190 tumble dryer fires between 2012 and 2014 – equating to three a day.

Despite a dedicated website being set up by Whirlpool to help customers with their Hotpoint, Indesit or Credit units, Ms McCallum is struggling to get a straight answer in the wake of the safety concern.

She said: “I am in communication with various emails sent to and from Whirlpool currently.

“The most they will offer is a modification, which is only warranted at best for nine months, or at worst for 90 days.

“I have a Hotpoint Condenser dryer which is one of the affected models. It’s staggering to hear that the fault goes back to dryers made 12 years ago.”

Despite this, Ms McCallum claims she knows people who have been offered a replacement, and claims the system is ‘unbalanced’ with no straightforward solutions.

She added: “Since seeing the announcement I am very scared to use my dryer.

“I know of people who have got a free replacement. It seems like Whirlpool are treating everyone differently and there is no consistency.

“There are numerous people on the website who have all received contrasting offers. Why should one accept a modification which is only guaranteed for a short period of time when others have been offered a free replacement or a refund?”

"If I do manage to get a new machine it will be because of Domestic and General, not Whirlpool."

Cllr Jeremy Hilton, Chair of the LGA's Fire Services Management Committee, said: "People using faulty tumble dryers are unwittingly playing Russian roulette and leading manufacturers need to recall affected models as soon as possible to protect their customers.

“People's safety must be the priority. It's been months since some manufacturers issued safety warnings over their tumble dryers but they need to be recalled as these appliances are still causing fires.

“Until they do so, consumers continue to risk falling victim to a devastating and tragic house fire.”

A spokesman for Whirlpool said: "The safety of consumers is our number one priority which is why we work hard to resolve all customer matters as quickly and efficiently as we can. We are currently looking into Mrs McCallum’s case and will address any concerns as soon as we can.’’