If UK electric outlets are anything like HK outlets, you might have a problem if the...I'm going to butcher this. Resistors? Are insufficient.

From a practical, completely layperson non-scientific view, I plugged a small alarm clock in the socket when I visited HK. Within a few minutes I smelled 'burning' and the thing was overheated. Then it sparked and died x_X

Computers never did this, and my camera battery charger was fine. So I blame it on either cheap or very small appliances not being able to survive the adapter. I also don't know whether a surge protector would help either.

*raises general concerns related to issue hopefully getting answers that help both of us*