Thank you for all of the replies and advice - It has been very helpful and yes I am going to get an electrician in to investigate and change any required sockets.
Re the wet wipe incident when I was shocked, it wasn't until yesterday reading your replies that I ever considered it may be a problem or fault with the actual socket itself. I just blamed myself as being my fault, as it was me who had a (slightly damp) wet wipe in my hand, and it was me who touched the socket and accidentally switched the switch on as I touched the socket.
Although saying that, the "premonition" I had before even touching the socket, when I was standing a few feet away is strange. And the socket switch was off at that point.... It was like some kind of invisible electrical charge attached to my thumb (and the wet wipe) when I was a few feet away from the socket. I can't actually remember if that incident tripped the electrics or not.
I do not use that socket for anything and it now has plastic plug protectors plugged in. If it had the plastic plug protectors in previously, would that have prevented me getting the shock?
As for the fitted dishwasher fuse blowing, that happened more recently. Again I think that was my fault as I think it blew due to water being splashed on the fuse socket on the wall when I was unloading glasses out of the dishwasher. I dried the fuse switch and replaced with another fuse, but obviously didn't dry the fuse switch properly, as when I switched it back on there was a loud bang and black smoke coming out of the fuse socket.
The 13A fuse has now been removed and the dishwasher has not been used since then, until I can get an electrician to fix the socket.
As for the moisture behind the plastic plug protector, which I assume was the problem of the electrics tripping, as since drying that the problem seems to have resolved - I can only assume the moisture came from me cleaning the skirting boards, and maybe I wiped over the plastic plug protector too, and moisture somehow tracked behind the plastic protector.
The plastic plug protectors have a normal length top prong and the 2 lower prongs are shorter. I am still confused, could you confirm if a plastic plug protector is plugged in, and the socket switch is off, is that socket live at all with any electricity? Or would it only become "live" with any charge running through it if the socket switch was switched on?
I understand why some people do not like the plastic plug protectors as they can be turned upside down by toddlers etc, but I don't have a toddler who could do that, so just trying to understand if they are safer to use to prevent any shock from water contact?.... When I had the electric shock before having the plug protectors, that was probably the equivalent of a toddler touching a socket with a wet finger, but wondering if the plastic plug protector would have prevented the shock I received?
