Discarded battery causes fire in recycling lorry

The driver spotted smoke rising from the truck

A discarded battery has caused a fire in a recycling lorry going to a waste site, prompting warnings from the council.

It happened at about 12:00 BST on Tuesday just outside Rossendale Transfer Station at Duckworth Clough, Haslingden.

The driver spotted smoke rising from the truck and safely manoeuvred the lorry away from nearby buildings and called emergency services.

The council said the incident showed how one small battery could "cause such a big impact".

'Lives at risk'

The recyclables were safely tipped on to the yard floor at the waste depot and the fire was put out.

The cause of the fire was thought to be a ruptured lithium battery, causing ignition of paper and card that had been collected for recycling in the lorry.

County Councillor Shaun Turner, cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: "This incident highlights how just one small battery which has not been recycled properly can cause such a big impact.

"Had the HGV driver not noticed the fire very early, the whole HGV could have gone up in flames, putting the driver, local infrastructure and others lives at risk.

"Any battery, no matter how big or small, can cause fires at our depots and in or vehicles, which is why it is so important to dispose of them correctly."