Sony is one of the world's biggest and best-known electronics firms

Sony is recalling 440,000 Vaio laptop computers worldwide because of wiring faults that could cause overheating.

The recall concerns 19 Vaio models in the TZ series manufactured between May 2007 and July 2008 - but does not include models sold in the UK.

Sony said wires have been put in the wrong position near the hinge, while a flaw in the circuit board that controls the screen also may cause overheating.

The company said that a number of people had been burnt by the fault.

According to the company 373,000 of the Vaio laptops were sold worldwide in some 48 countries, with 67,000 sold in Japan.

Minor burns

Sony said that anyone who believed their machine was part of the recall should contact the firm to organise an inspection and rework of the wiring where needed.

And a Sony UK spokesperson said there had "been no reported incidents of this potential issue in products sold in the UK to date, and a product recall is not required".

Sony has received 209 reports of overheating worldwide, including seven incidents where people received minor burns, Associated Press reported.

In 2006, major laptop manufacturers including Dell, Hitachi, Apple, Lenovo and Toshiba were among those who recalled a total of 9.6 million Sony batteries after evidence that, in certain circumstances, the batteries could overheat and catch fire.