Council plea to Lancaster and Morecambe residents after batteries catch fire on refuse lorry

One of the council’s waste collection wagons had to be escorted by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service to the local Lancashire County Council waste transfer station earlier this week when the crew spotted smoke coming from the vehicle.

The contents of the wagon were safely unloaded into a bay at the station and the source of the smoke investigated.

A quantity of Lithium-ion batteries was found among the general waste and the potential risk of a serious fire avoided.

"Next time we may not be so lucky,” a council spokesman said.

“Please help us to keep our crews safe by disposing of all your spent household batteries responsibly. Please don’t mix them with the rest of your waste - use our battery recycling collection scheme instead.”

For more information on how to use this service, visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/battery-recycling