Bin fire in Cornwall after batteries not recycled

The fire service said it has seen an "increase" in bin fires in the past five years

People in Cornwall are being asked to remember to recycle batteries after a fire started on a rubbish collection vehicle.

Cornwall Council said smoke was seen coming from the back of the lorry while the crew were collecting rubbish in Longrock, near Penzance.

It said the fire was "believed to have been caused" by a bank of lithium batteries which had been binned.

The team "acted quickly" and called the fire service, which extinguished it.

'Really dangerous'

Des O'Connell, from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, said it had "seen an increase in the number of incidents related to lithium-ion batteries over the past five years".

He said: "Lithium-ion batteries are in a lot of everyday items, like mobile phones, toothbrushes, toys, laptops, e-bikes and e-scooters and their use has increased as e-cigarettes and vapes have become more popular.

"Last year the UK saw more than 700 reported fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in waste lorries and at recycling centres."

Councillor Carol Mould said people should recycle batteries "responsibly, and never put them in the bin".

"We often see batteries being put with general rubbish and this can be really dangerous for our waste collection crews," she said.