Campaign sees nearly 2,000 potentially dangerous batteries and chargers removed from sale
Residents in the East of England will be safer after more than 1,800 potentially dangerous batteries and chargers were removed from sale thanks to a regional campaign by Trading Standards services from nine local authorities.
The work was carried out after fire and rescue services in the eastern region reported an increase in the number of fires involving lithium-ion batteries and battery chargers. These batteries are found in a large number of household devices, including laptops, mobile phones, vacuum cleaners and cordless power tools and can pose a serious fire risk.
The campaign saw Trading Standards services from across the East of England buy and test 22 items, primarily from online marketplaces. All failed to provide the correct information as required by law, with 13 also failing on safety grounds, including risk of electric shock, fire and explosion.
Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships at Norfolk County Council, which led the work, said: "Lithium-ion batteries are present in so many electronic items in our homes, but they can pose a serious fire risk.
"This important regional work, led by Norfolk County Council's Trading Standards team has not only removed potentially dangerous batteries and chargers from being on sale but also highlights the need for people to buy from reputable retailers and always use replacement parts and chargers that are recommended by the manufacturer."
People are also advised to only charge devices for the recommended amount of time and not while they are asleep or out of the house, as this could lead to a fire becoming much more serious.
For more advice on staying safe with lithium-ion batteries, visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/lithiumbatteries
If you believe you have purchased a sub-standard product, you can report it to Trading Standards by contacting our partners the Citizen's Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
If any device catches fire in your home, evacuate, call 999 and do not go back inside.
Please do not dispose of lithium-ion batteries in your household bins. Either take them back to the retailer who sold the item they came with or to one of Norfolk's Recycling Centres.
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