A MUM of five says she has had to fork out £500 on replacing clothes which have been torn by her washing machine.

When holes began appearing in her children's clothes, Zelpha Chapman assumed they must have ripped them by accident.

But when her and her husband’s clothes showed signs of damage too, she started suspecting her LG Direct Drive 11kg washing machine, which is barely a year old.

Ms Chapman, of Elton Way, Watford, immediately stopped using the machine.

She reported the fault to Comet, where she had bought the washing machine, on March 17. But it still hasn’t been fixed or replaced, and she says she has been given several deadlines for when it would be fixed, which have not been met.

When the 37-year-old bought the machine, which cost about £1,000, she paid extra for a two year warranty.

She said: “An engineer came out on March 24 and said he would have to order some parts and would come back on April 4 to fit them.

“They told me if it took longer than 14 working days I would be given a replacement machine, that ran out last Thursday, when I was told I had to wait another three working days.

“When I rang again, their solution was to go to the laundrette. Why should I when I've paid for a top-of-the-range machine and a two year warranty?"

Ms Chapman added: “If something gets a rip in it then it's ruined, so I have to throw it out. I've spent about £500 replacing torn clothes.

“I've got a six month old baby, four children between five and 16, and a 72-year-old disabled father to look after, I need a washing machine.

“I've got kids on holiday from school going back on Monday with no uniforms. We were supposed to go away, but because we're having to use clothes I was going to take on holiday, we now can't.

"It's going to take a solid week of washing to get through the backlog.”

The Watford Observer is waiting to hear from Comet.