COOKERS, toasters and stand-alone hobs are the domestic appliances most likely to start fires in Hampshire.

New figures from the Home Office show that 559 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 Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service were started by cookers, with 304 fires causing 20 deaths or casualties over the year.

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

1) Cookers, including ovens: 304 fires

2) Grills and toasters: 59

3) Separate rings and hot plates: 53

4) Tumble dryers: 30

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, 20 fires started by domestic appliances caused deaths or injuries.

More than 65 fires were started by faulty appliances or leads in Hampshire 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 309 fires in Hampshire, and over 8,700 nationally.

But the old staple of fire safety talks, chip pans, were still the cause of 44 fires in Hampshire, and nearly 1,600 fires nationally.