COOKERS, toasters and tumble dryers are the domestic appliances most likely to start fires in Cheshire.

New figures from the Home Office show that 225 house fires were started by a household appliance in the area between April 2017 and March this year.

More than half the incidents attended by the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service were started by cookers, with 124 fires causing 36 deaths or casualties over the year.

The most common domestic appliances to cause fires in Cheshire between April 2017 and March 2018 were:

1) Cookers, including ovens: 124 fires

2) Grills and toasters: 29

3) Tumble dryers: 17

4) Microwaves: 9

The Fire Brigades Union warned that both manufacturers and householders have a duty to prevent fires caused by everyday appliances.

A spokesman for the union said: "Manufacturers have a duty to ensure the products they sell are safe for the public to use and do not pose a threat to life.

"Make sure that the electrical wiring in our homes is in good order, and ensure that we have working smoke alarms and we have a plan for what to do if they go off.

"We can all play our part in reducing fire risk by registering products with the manufacturers when we buy them, so that we are notified if there is a safety-related recall."

Between April 2017 and March 2018, 56 fires started by domestic appliances caused deaths or injuries.

More than 46 fires were started by faulty appliances or leads in Cheshire over the financial year. Across England, such faults started over 2,400 fires.

The most common reason for fires started by appliances was misuse of the equipment, which caused 104 fires in Cheshire, and over 8,700 nationally.

But the old staple of fire safety talks - chip pans - were still the cause of 25 fires in Cheshire, and nearly 1,600 fires nationally.