An electric shock or household fire would be among the worst Christmas presents you could get.

But Northern Ireland’s bargain hunters searching online could be putting themselves, their families and homes at risk, according to new research from safety charity, the Electrical Safety Council (ESC).

As part of a survey of 2,000 consumers, the Electrical Safety Council found a quarter claimed they had problems with electrical goods bought online; 25% said the item either didn’t work or broke after a month, and one in four said the product that arrived was a fake.

The ESC has launched a guide to buying electrical goods online and it is available at www.esc.org.uk.