Whirlpool could face criminal prosecution over washing machine fires that led to a mass recall 

Whirlpool could face a criminal prosecution over washing machine blazes that led to a mass recall.

The US manufacturer issued an alert just before Christmas over more than half a million Hotpoint and Indesit appliances that are at risk of catching fire.

Now the Government regulator has refused to release information about its correspondence with the company’s bosses ahead of the recall because doing so could jeopardise ‘potential future criminal proceedings’ which may follow its ‘ongoing investigation’.

The company faces claims of putting lives and property at risk by delaying a warning to British customers about the fire-risk washing machines.

When it issued its safety alert on December 18 last year it said it had only become aware of the issue in the previous few weeks.

However, there have been 79 fires and ten injuries dating as far back as November 2016.

And the firm told investors on October 23 that it would be setting aside £80million to deal with the problem. It took a further eight weeks to issue the recall in Britain.

The recall came after reports of blazes caused by flaws in a door-locking system which can overheat and catch fire when the machine’s heating element is activated.

The problems affect products from Whirlpool brands Hotpoint and Indesit sold in the UK between October 2014 and February 2018.

A Freedom of Information request to the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) asked for any correspondence between the Government regulator and Whirlpool about safety concerns over Indesit and Hotpoint washing machines and the product recall between October 22 and December 17 last year.

But the OPSS declined, with one reason being that the information was held for the investigation it was conducting which may lead to criminal proceedings.

There are a number of potential proceedings that could follow. 

It is illegal to place an unsafe product on the market, with anyone convicted facing a maximum £20,000 fine and three months in jail. 

Whirlpool could also face prosecution if it fails to continue to provide regular updates to OPSS on the product recall.

The possible legal threat is another serious blow for Whirlpool after it recalled five million of its tumble dryers, again over fire risks.

Late last year a report by MPs branded the manufacturer ‘chilling’ and ‘dangerous’ after the Daily Mail revealed it had used gagging orders to silence victims of tumble-dryer fires.

Whirlpool emphatically denies there was any delay over the washing-machine recall and says that as soon as it had completed an investigation to determine which models were affected it alerted the regulator and undertook a voluntary recall.

The company insists this means there are no grounds for any legal action against it.

Whirlpool said: ‘Claims that Whirlpool delayed notifying customers about this safety issue are entirely false. This is a complex issue and it required several weeks of rigorous analysis to confirm which models are affected and therefore which customers need to take action.

‘A reserve was established in case further investigations identified a need to take action.’