PEOPLE are being urged to visit two safety sessions in Blackburn and Darwen to find out whether their electric blanket is safe to use.

Age Concern Blackburn with Darwen in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council's trading standards service and Lancashire Fire and Rescue will stage the two free safety testing days.

A specialist firm will be available on Monday, October 20, at Darwen Town Hall and on Tuesday, October 21, at Blackburn Town Hall to test the items.

The company will test blankets for faults and advise whether they are safe to use.

Firefighters will also be on hand to advise on all aspects of fire safety.

Vicky Shepherd, Age Concern's services development manager, said: "Research has shown that 70 per cent of electric blankets fail safety tests and 25 per cent are potentially lethal, making electric blankets one of the biggest causes of domestic fires there is. We want to encourage people to have their blankets checked to ensure they can sleep safely in their own beds and reduce the risk to themselves."

The testing sessions will run from 9am and 4.30pm on an appointment basis only.

To book contact the Blackburn office on 01254 266620 or the Darwen office on 01254 773440.