A new safety watchdog begins work today to stop fires caused by faulty fridges and tumble dryers.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards will police product recalls and repairs, and identify home risks on a £12million annual budget.

It has been set up by the Government on the recommendation of TV consumer champion Lynn Faulds Wood.

The move follows 750 fires caused since 2004 by defective Whirlpool tumble dryers, and calls for action by our sister paper the Daily Mirror.

The Mirror's coverage on the issue

The US company was rapped by the Commons Business Committee for failing to deal with a further million faulty dryers in homes two years after a defect was identified.

And from 2010 to 2016 another 1,598 fires were caused by fridge freezers.

TV consumer champion Lynn Faulds Wood (
Image:
Getty)

The watchdog will ensure proper border checks are carried out on imports, and hunt down rogue firms undercutting competitors by selling unsafe products.

Business minister Andrew Griffiths said: “An effective system is now in place if products need to be repaired or replaced.”

But Which? boss Alex Neill said: “Consumers need an independent national body with real powers.”