AS SUMMER draws to an end, the Tiverton Repair Café is inviting people to come and test their best used winter electrical item.

The repair clinic, based at the youth centre in Market Car Park, wants people to bring in their electric blankets to be tested free of charge before the nights quickly get colder.

The volunteers at the cafe will try to fix anything you can carry into the youth centre using their experience and skills. They test all electrical items on receipt and before turning them to their owner.

While people are waiting for their repairs, hot drinks and cakes are available.

The group's aim is to stop people from throwing away things that could be repaired to try and save on landfill space.

Items from clothing, curtains, small pieces of furniture, picture frames and electrical alliances can be brought into the cafe, as long as you can carry it.

Dawn Hampshire, co-founder, said: "The Repair Cafe in Tiverton is now in its second year of running and, as well as repairing lots of items for people we have also identified appliances people have brought in which are no longer safe through using our PAT testing machine.

"In the past we have found that a number of electric blankets people have brought in, even ones that appeared to be working fine, were no longer safe. "By identifying such blankets we hope we have saved some nasty accidents.

"Electric blankets tend to be the sort of things we all keep for years and give little thought to.

"It's well worth having yours checked to know you are safe."

The cafe is open on the second Saturday of each month from 9.30am until midday.