A mum was left shocked after a phone charger exploded in the middle of the night.

Julie Swift, who lives in Bearsted, was sleeping with her iPhone charging next to her bed when the incident happened around midnight.

She had bought the device over the internet, although it was not one officially made by Apple.

She said: “It exploded next to my bed. The whole thing blew up – there was a big, loud bang and a big flash. It was really scary.”

She added: “My 12-year-old daughter uses that charger and she could have been using it last night and I don’t want to think what might have happened.

"I want to warn other people what these chargers off the internet can do.”

The incident follows a spate of recent fires in the county caused by electronic equipment.

A family in Stockbury had a lucky escape when a remote control car on charge exploded, triggering a fire by 14-year-old Harry Carfrae’s bed. Harry and his
family needed treatment for smoke inhalation at Medway Maritime Hospital.

Earlier in April, Holly Hewett was asleep in her flat, near Sittingbourne, when her mobile phone started making a “sizzling sound” and almost caught fire while it was charging.

She managed to grab it and throw it into the sink.

Kent County Council trading standards manager Richard Strawson said: “There are always potential risks in buying cheap mobile phone chargers which may be fake, unreliable and dangerous.

"They can have faults with the electrical wiring and other components resulting in overheating and the risk of fire.

“At first glance, it is not obvious that these chargers are
dangerous and if left plugged in and unattended can prove lethal.

“We would encourage Mrs Swift to contact us so we can have full details of this particular incident.”