London Fire Brigade issues ‘hoverboard’ safety warning on 'Back to the Future Day'

The occupant discovered the fire after hearing a loud ‘bang’,and was able to escape the property uninjured.

Just days earlier two men escaped through a first floor window after a fire broke out at a house in Morden.

The mean heard a ‘banging’ noise, before discovering the a blaze in a room where a hoverboard had been charging.

Both of the devices involved in the fires have been sent for further testing by The Brigade’s fire investigation experts.

Last Thursday, the BBC's investigation programme Watchdog raised concerns about the plugs being supplied with some hoverboards, which did not appear to be standard British plugs.

The investigation found the plugs did not have fuses and could be at risk of overheating, exploding and catching fire.

Charlie Pugsley, Head of Fire Investigation at the Brigade, said: “The cause of both fires is still under investigation whilst the devices are tested at our lab, but as both incidents involved personal transporters that were charging at the time of the fire, we’d urge people to especially keep an eye on their devices whilst they are on charge.”