A FAULTY electric blanket sparked off a house fire which led to the death of elderly Settle man Edward Procter, an inquest heard.

And this week fire chiefs sent out a message to all users of electric blankets, warning that they should be regularly serviced.

Mr Procter, 86, a retired ambulanceman, died from smoke inhalation on November 30 as a result of an "intense fire" at his council-owned home on Northfields Avenue. Smoke alarms had been fitted to the property.

At an inquest yesterday (Thursday) coroner Jeremy Cave recorded a verdict of accidental death.

In a statement, witness Mark Humphrey said he was walking nearby when he saw flames and smoke "billowing" from the bungalow at around 3am. He phoned the emergency services.

Neighbours were woken by an alarm on the building and witnesses were unable to get inside the house.

Trevor Lund, a member of the fire investigation team, said the cause of the fire was a fault in the electric blanket, more than likely in the switch mechanism.

"If you use an electric blanket during the winter months, make sure it is serviced before you use it at the beginning of the season. If it needs to be cleaned, make sure it is cleaned by someone able to do so. If it cannot be cleaned, it should be discarded.

"Do not overload domestic wiring by using double and treble adaptors and always check fuse ratings."

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