Children's rooms buzzing with electricity

10:26pm Thursday 3rd July 2008

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A STUDY has shown that the average Buckingshamire child's bedroom is buzzing with more electrical gadgets than ever before - creating a potential danger zone.

Research commissioned by consumer safety charity the Electrical Safety Council found that two-thirds of 4-11 year olds now have their own TV in their bedroom.

Over a third of young children have games consoles or other electrical toys in their room and 39% were revealed to have a mobile phone charging in their room.

More than a quarter had their own computer set up in their bedroom, many of which were accompanied by other electrical kit including printers and scanners.

Phil Buckle, director of charitable affairs at the Electrical Safety Council said: "We tend to be complacent about the dangers of electricity but every year in the UK around 30 people are killed and thousands injured through electric shock or electrical fire."

The survey of the South East region said that a plethora of gadgets with insufficient power points turned bedrooms into a fire hazards.

Mr Buckle said: "With computers, games consoles, mobile phones and a variety of multi-media equipment commonplace even for primary school-age children, the average child's bedroom could potentially contain more electrical appliances than almost any other room in the house making it a high risk area.

"Yet it's the room in which children probably spend the most time unsupervised. Parents need to be aware that with so many electrical appliances surrounding their children the risks today are much greater than when they themselves were children."

Lamps, music systems and hair styling appliances, such as hair straighteners were amongst other electrical items commonly left plugged into the mains supply in children's bedrooms.