FEARS over the safety of electric blankets have led members of Lancashire County Council to offer free safety checks.
The authority has arranged for experts to carry out safety tests at several designated points across the county.
The move comes after trading standards officers and members of the council's welfare rights service warned that worn or poorly maintained electric blankets can be a serious fire risk.
Lancashire's finance and general purposes sub committee chairman, County Coun Chris Cheetham, said the annual safety checks were an important event.
He advised those with older blankets which had not been tested by and electrician to have theirs checked out.
County Coun Cheetham added: "Older blankets can develop unforeseen serious problems that our experts will check out.
"Last year in similar tests 46 per cent of the 593 blankets that were checked had faults."
The free safety tests are being carried out at the trading standards office, 11 Finsley Gate, Burnley and Rawtenstall Youth and Community Centre, Burnley Road in Rawtenstall, both from 10am to 3pm on Saturday September 30.
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