'Lives at risk' over lack of electric blanket tests

The town has been omitted from this year's timetable for the free checks carried out by West Sussex County Council's trading standards service.

They were instead held at nine other locations around West Sussex over a ten-day period.

The value of the tests can be seen by the fact that 267 of the 734 blankets tested last year, including those in Bognor, failed.

Of those, 53 were considered dangerous and 214 were not recommended for further use.

Using those figures, it could mean that some 29 unsafe blankets in Bognor were missed this time because of the absence of the checks.

County councillor Francis Oppler, who represents Bognor Regis East, said he was unaware of the situation until the Observer highlighted Bognor's omission from the timetable of checks.

"Failing to hold the tests in Bognor is putting peoples' lives at risk," he said.

"Bognor has a large number of elderly and vulnerable people. For many of them, an electric blanket supplies their warmth during the winter months.

"For this reason, it's absolutely imperative that the trading standards department carries out the safety checks in Bognor for all who want them.

"This is a matter of urgency and I will be raising it with the county council and the cabinet member responsible for trading standards to ensure that people in Bognor are adequately protected."

Cllr Oppler, who is also the district councillor for the deprived Orchard ward, said it was likely many of the people who relied on electric blankets were on fixed incomes and unable to afford regular checks on the items.

"They spend the winter in one room with their electric blanket to keep them warm," he explained, "There could be a real problem if their blanket has a poor connection."

A county council spokesman said the trading standards department only received enough funding to hold one set of tests in each district or borough council area.

It was decided that the 2008 test in Arun should take place in Wick in Littlehampton. That was the final test in this year's schedule last Friday.

The publicity for the tests showed how importantly they are regarded by the county council.

Its cabinet member for public protection, Cllr Peter Evans, said in a press release: "We want everyone to sleep safely this winter. But old electric blankets often become worn and can cause fires that could be potentially fatal."

Other places where the checks were held this year were Chichester, East Grinstead, Fishersgate, Hassocks, Midhurst, Selsey, Shoreham and Worthing. Three of them were in the widespread Chichester area.

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