A WOMAN has warned people to be careful when leaving a dishwasher on late at night after her home filled with smoke. 

Sarah Murray, of Warndon Villages, turned her dishwasher on and went for a cup of tea on Saturday evening.

However, she was startled by her fire alarm going off and the house suddenly filling with smoke.

Mrs Murray said: "We had a near miss on Saturday night. It gave us quite a fright and we were very lucky.

"We did something different to what we usually do as we stayed up to have a cup of tea after putting the dishwasher on.

"Ordinarily, we would have been asleep by the time the smoke alarm went off. The fact that we were awake meant we could act quickly.

"The house still smells of an electrical fire, although there was no actual fire due to us being able to act quickly."

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After the near-miss, Mrs Murray said she will never be putting the dishwasher on that late again.

She said: "We have always put the dishwasher on as we go to bed. We won’t do that ever again. Our new dishwasher arrived on Wednesday.

"It worries me that people with cheaper nighttime tariffs might be tempted to run appliances during the night. This should definitely be avoided.

"They’d be saving money but potentially lives could be lost."

Mrs Murray shared her story on Facebook and Twitter and found others who would switch their machines on overnight.

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She said: "In sharing my story on social media, I’ve heard some horror stories, including one where a baby perished in a house fire because the washing machine was left to run overnight.

"Sharing our near-miss could potentially save lives. A few people have told me they will rethink their habits.

"AG Electrical Appliances saw my post on Facebook and was able to supply us with a replacement dishwasher."

For the full list of advice of what to do in a fire, you can visit the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue website at www.hwfire.org.uk/safety-and-advice/home-safety/in-the-event-of-fire/.