A house fire in Ormesby is believed to have been started by a washing machine.

Two fire crews from Gorleston and Great Yarmouth were called to Tillett Close in the Broadland village at around 8pm last night. (Monday).

Neighbours this morning said they understood from speaking to crew at the scene that the incident had been caused by a washing machine.

There was reportedly a large amount of smoke.

The two fire crews wearing breathing apparatus took around 20 minutes to deal with the incident.

According to Which? magazine faulty household appliances, such as washing machines, tumble dryers and fridge-freezers, are causing more than 60 fires every week.

The publication’s analysis, looking at fire data obtained through Freedom of Information requests, reveals that the number of fires has stayed at a similar level for five years, with malfunctioning kitchen appliances reportedly causing close to 16,000 potentially deadly fires across the UK since April 1 2012.