A FREEZER full of fouled food is what awaited a Bovey Tracey man who, having just returned from a week’s holiday, found the appliance defrosted because of a design feature he feels more people should be aware of.

Ian Phillips, who lives in New Park, Bovey Tracey, aquired the brand new appliance from a local white goods retailer in January and up until last week it worked as one would expect.

It was upon arriving back from holiday, however, that Ian soon discovered a curious feature of said appliance; unbeknownst to Ian the unit has a ‘climate classification’, or, in other words, is designed to operate within restricted ambient temperatures.

Ian’s model is designed to operate in an environment between 10 and 32C, outside of this window proper function cannot be guaranteed by the manufacturer.

And so it was that, while away on holiday with his partner, Thea, in a part of the world far warmer than England at present, Ian’s freezer defrosted as the ambient temperature of the room fell below 10C.

Home baked bread, an assortment of store bought goods and myriad vegan nut roasts, laboriously and lovingly prepared by Thea, perished and had to be discarded – a Christmas feast ruined.

The freezer saw ice again within 24 hours of the couple’s return, given the heating and, therefore, the ambient temperature of their property, increased above the specified threshold for the appliance to function as intended.

‘I think a lot of people are going to be very shocked,’ Ian said.

‘Everyone I have spoken to is amazed that such a thing could exist.

‘The point I would stress is that this can happen overnight while you are not even aware of it.

‘It could be any night, if the temperature dips down the food inside will be just that little bit more decayed each time it happens.

‘What I am saying, in practical terms, is this is a health hazard.

At present, the couple are using an old, half size freezer, which has proved a reliable work horse, not faultering and maintaining a steady temperature of minus 20C

‘I believe all these type of appliances should be recalled by their respective manufacturer,’ Ian said.

Ian is urging readers who have had a similar experince with their freezers, to contact him via email on: [email protected]