Andrew Dismore

108 fires such fires cost Barnet residents over £6 million

49 such fires cost Camden residents almost £3 million

 

According to recently published London Fire Brigade statistics, there have been 2,072 fires in London since 2011 causing £118 million in losses due to faulty electrical goods. The figures were announced in the London Fire Brigade’s “Total Recall” campaign, aimed at informing the public about the inadequacy of product recalls for white goods such as dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers.

Andrew Dismore, Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden and London Fire Authority member (LFEPA).said:

‘In Camden there have been 49 such fires since 2011, costing almost £3 million. In Barnet the situation is worse, where there have been 108 fires, costing over £6 million.

‘Many of these fires across London could have been prevented if the Government had seen sense and done the right thing.

‘The recommendations for product recalls of white goods set out in a Coroner’s report as long ago as 2010 have still not been fully implemented by the Government. Manufacturers should make publicly available the risk assessments they undertake once a fault is found in a product.  And a single register for UK product recalls needs to be introduced, readily accessible to the public online.

‘These safety measures are considered necessary by the London Fire Brigade, Which?, Electrical Safety First, the Chief Fire Officers Association and the Local Government Association.

‘Clearly the Government need reminding their priority should be saving people’s lives. There is no excuse for these simple actions not to have been taken long ago. ‘As well as lives, these measures could potentially save millions of pounds a year and protect consumers. It’s a no-brainer.’

ENDS

 

For further information call Andrew Dismore 07957 625 813

Notes for editors:

Fires involving white goods in London from 1 January 2011 to 30 September 2016

 

London Borough	Number of fires	Cost (£k)*
Barking and Dagenham	48	2,740
Barnet	108	6,166
Bexley	58	3,311
Brent	65	3,711
Bromley	78	4,453
Camden	49	2,798
City of London	7	400
Croydon	114	6,508
Ealing	72	4,111
Enfield	71	4,054
Greenwich	53	3,026
Hackney	74	4,225
Hammersmith and Fulham	47	2,683
Haringey	52	2,969
Harrow	49	2,798
Havering	57	3,254
Hillingdon	79	4,510
Hounslow	67	3,825
Islington	57	3,254
Kensington and Chelsea	47	2,683
Kingston upon Thames	43	2,455
Lambeth	70	3,996
Lewisham	79	4,510
Merton	46	2,626
Newham	60	3,426
Redbridge	55	3,140
Richmond upon Thames	37	2,112
Southwark	98	5,595
Sutton	53	3,026
Tower Hamlets	67	3,825
Waltham Forest	69	3,939
Wandsworth	76	4,339
Westminster	67	3,825
Total	2072	118,295

*The cost of domestic fires was reached by using data in the DCLG report ‘The economic cost of fire: estimates for 2008’.

Fires involving white goods in London from 1 January 2011 to 30 September 2016

 

Parliamentary constituency	Number of fires	Cost (£k)*
Barking	31	1,770
Battersea	34	1,941
Beckenham	22	1,256
Bermondsey and Old Southwark	41	2,341
Bethnal Green and Bow	30	1,713
Bexleyheath and Crayford	25	1,427
Brent Central	26	1,484
Brent North	28	1,599
Brentford and Isleworth	31	1,770
Bromley and Chislehurst	21	1,199
Camberwell and Peckham	47	2,683
Carshalton and Wallington	25	1,427
Chelsea and Fulham	25	1,427
Chingford and Woodford Green	20	1,142
Chipping Barnet	37	2,112
Cities of London and Westminster	47	2,683
Croydon Central	28	1,599
Croydon North	54	3,083
Croydon South	32	1,827
Dagenham and Rainham	29	1,656
Dulwich and West Norwood	23	1,313
Ealing Central and Acton	29	1,656
Ealing North	26	1,484
Ealing, Southall	17	971
East Ham	29	1,656
Edmonton	23	1,313
Eltham	22	1,256
Enfield North	31	1,770
Enfield, Southgate	17	971
Erith and Thamesmead	29	1,656
Feltham and Heston	36	2,055
Finchley and Golders Green	31	1,770
Greenwich and Woolwich	22	1,256
Hackney North and Stoke Newington	40	2,284
Hackney South and Shoreditch	34	1,941
Hammersmith	34	1,941
Hampstead and Kilburn	27	1,541
Harrow East	22	1,256
Harrow West	23	1,313
Hayes and Harlington	36	2,055
Hendon	40	2,284
Holborn and St. Pancras	33	1,884
Hornchurch and Upminster	21	1,199
Hornsey and Wood Green	29	1,656
Ilford North	21	1,199
Ilford South	20	1,142
Islington North	28	1,599
Islington South and Finsbury	29	1,656
Kensington	35	1,998
Kingston and Surbiton	25	1,427
Lewisham East	31	1,770
Lewisham West and Penge	20	1,142
Lewisham, Deptford	35	1,998
Leyton and Wanstead	28	1,599
Mitcham and Morden	22	1,256
Old Bexley and Sidcup	13	742
Orpington	28	1,599
Poplar and Limehouse	37	2,112
Putney	23	1,313
Richmond Park	36	2,055
Romford	24	1,370
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner	24	1,370
Streatham	27	1,541
Sutton and Cheam	28	1,599
Tooting	19	1,085
Tottenham	23	1,313
Twickenham	19	1,085
Uxbridge and South Ruislip	23	1,313
Vauxhall	30	1,713
Walthamstow	35	1,998
West Ham	31	1,770
Westminster North	27	1,541
Wimbledon	24	1,370
Total	2072	118,295

*The cost of domestic fires was reached by using data in the DCLG report ‘The economic cost of fire: estimates for 2008’. It estimates for 2008 that the cost of fire in London was £48,092 and updating it for inflation the figure is now £57,092.