A MUM and her three children were forced to flee their Boscombe flat this week when a £1 phone charger from a discount store apparently overheated and caused a blaze.

As reported in the Daily Echo, firefighters were called to a property in Haviland Road shortly before 9pm on Monday after the fire broke out.

Residents of the block were evacuated as crews from three Bournemouth fire stations battled the blaze.

No one was injured.

Donna Burton had been at home with her children, who are 11, 12 and 18, when she realised something was wrong.

"My son was charging his phone with a USB charger from a discount shop," she said.

"He'd plugged it in and then put his phone on the bed. We were watching Britain's Got Talent together and then I noticed a smell of smouldering.

"The charger had become so hot it had burned a hole through the duvet cover."

Donna quickly unplugged the charger and left it in the bedroom. However, shortly afterwards, the family spotted a "bright orange glow" and realised the room was on fire.

"It wasn't an electrical problem - it was the charger," Donna said.

"I wanted to warn people that this could happen to them. It could have been ten times worse."

Station manager Ant Bholah of the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The most likely cause of this fire was a mobile phone left charging on the bed.

"It appears as though the charger, which was not an official manufacturer model, overheated and this led to the bedding catching alight. We would strongly recommend that people avoid using cheap chargers, and never leave an electrical item to charge on top of anything that is easily combustible, such as the bed.”

Although it can be cheaper to buy imported, unofficial chargers, fake mobile phone chargers are often made with poor quality components that fail to meet UK safety regulations. This means they can cause injury, electric shocks and even fires.

Members of the public are urged to follow instructions for all electrical devices and use the correct chargers in line with the manufacturer's guidance. Phone chargers also shouldn't be left plugged in overnight as they can overheat.

Phones left charging on soft furnishings and phones covered up as they charge are particularly likely to cause problems.

For more information, visit electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guides-and-advice/electrical-items/mobile-phone-chargers