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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| E-bike explosion warning as Reading family flees fire | E-bike explosion warning as Reading family flees fire |
| (8 months later) | |
| Helen Bryce's husband, Jason, managed to kick the e-bike, that was on fire, away from the door so the family could escape | Helen Bryce's husband, Jason, managed to kick the e-bike, that was on fire, away from the door so the family could escape |
| Helen Bryce's husband, Jason, managed to kick the e-bike, that was on fire, away from the door so the family could escape | |
| The owner of a second-hand e-bike that caught fire has warned users to "be so vigilant" and read the instructions. | The owner of a second-hand e-bike that caught fire has warned users to "be so vigilant" and read the instructions. |
| Helen Bryce said she was woken up by an explosion and saw a "horrible orange glow" in her flat in Reading. | Helen Bryce said she was woken up by an explosion and saw a "horrible orange glow" in her flat in Reading. |
| No-one was hurt and Mrs Bryce's family alerted all the neighbours but said the smoke damage to her first-floor property was "breathtaking". | No-one was hurt and Mrs Bryce's family alerted all the neighbours but said the smoke damage to her first-floor property was "breathtaking". |
| "Read the instructions religiously," she said. "If there's any warning about not overcharging, set an alarm." | "Read the instructions religiously," she said. "If there's any warning about not overcharging, set an alarm." |
| Mrs Bryce said the damage to her first-floor flat, following the fire, was "breathtaking" | Mrs Bryce said the damage to her first-floor flat, following the fire, was "breathtaking" |
| Mrs Bryce said the damage to her first-floor flat, following the fire, was "breathtaking" | |
| On the night of the fire, Mrs Bryce said she had left her e-bike plugged into a charger - bought from eBay - by the front door of her flat. | On the night of the fire, Mrs Bryce said she had left her e-bike plugged into a charger - bought from eBay - by the front door of her flat. |
| "I was woken up by an explosion, this horrible orange glow in the hallway, and the hallway was thick with smoke and there was a fire right by the door," she said. | "I was woken up by an explosion, this horrible orange glow in the hallway, and the hallway was thick with smoke and there was a fire right by the door," she said. |
| Her husband, Jason, managed to kick the bike away from the door and Mrs Bryce, her husband and their two children escaped to safety in the early hours of 15 December. | Her husband, Jason, managed to kick the bike away from the door and Mrs Bryce, her husband and their two children escaped to safety in the early hours of 15 December. |
| Call for ban on some e-bike chargers after fires | Call for ban on some e-bike chargers after fires |
| Call for ban on some e-bike chargers after fires | |
| E-bike fire warning renewed by London Fire Brigade | E-bike fire warning renewed by London Fire Brigade |
| E-bike fire warning renewed by London Fire Brigade | |
| Transport for London bans e-scooters from network | Transport for London bans e-scooters from network |
| Transport for London bans e-scooters from network | |
| "We ran around the building, knocking on people's doors... It was breathtaking the amount of damage that had been done. | "We ran around the building, knocking on people's doors... It was breathtaking the amount of damage that had been done. |
| "The smoke damage gets everywhere and we tried to save so much of our stuff but just had to give up." | "The smoke damage gets everywhere and we tried to save so much of our stuff but just had to give up." |
| "We tried to save so much of our stuff but just had to give up," Mrs Bryce told the BBC | "We tried to save so much of our stuff but just had to give up," Mrs Bryce told the BBC |
| "We tried to save so much of our stuff but just had to give up," Mrs Bryce told the BBC | |
| She added: "It's just really frightening that you can buy stuff online, in good faith, and actually it's not safe at all." | She added: "It's just really frightening that you can buy stuff online, in good faith, and actually it's not safe at all." |
| Following the fire, she has warned e-bike users to "read the instructions religiously". | Following the fire, she has warned e-bike users to "read the instructions religiously". |
| She added: "Check the instructions, check the batteries for any damage, any little crack or anything - just be so vigilant." | She added: "Check the instructions, check the batteries for any damage, any little crack or anything - just be so vigilant." |
| An eBay spokesperson said keeping users safe was the company's top priority and it requested the product details so that it could fully investigate the issue flagged to it. | An eBay spokesperson said keeping users safe was the company's top priority and it requested the product details so that it could fully investigate the issue flagged to it. |
| They said: "We use block filter algorithms aimed at preventing unsafe products from being listed, which blocked 4.8m listings in 2022. | They said: "We use block filter algorithms aimed at preventing unsafe products from being listed, which blocked 4.8m listings in 2022. |
| "If an unsafe product does make it on to site, we swiftly remove it and provide product safety education to the sellers to prevent relisting." | "If an unsafe product does make it on to site, we swiftly remove it and provide product safety education to the sellers to prevent relisting." |
| They said the company's regulatory portal enabled authorities from around the world to report listings of unsafe products. | They said the company's regulatory portal enabled authorities from around the world to report listings of unsafe products. |
| A Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy spokesperson previously said: "The government's top priority is to keep people safe. | A Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy spokesperson previously said: "The government's top priority is to keep people safe. |
| "Goods sold in the UK, whether online or on the high street, must meet some of the strictest safety laws in the world. | "Goods sold in the UK, whether online or on the high street, must meet some of the strictest safety laws in the world. |
| "Manufacturers must ensure all products supplied, including the batteries that power them, abide by product safety regulations before being placed on the market." | "Manufacturers must ensure all products supplied, including the batteries that power them, abide by product safety regulations before being placed on the market." |
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| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Berkshire | Berkshire |
| Reading | Reading |