Chickerell bin depot blaze 'caused by short circuit'

The cost of the damage is expected to be several million pounds

A fire that destroyed 21 bin and maintenance lorries and led to the suspension of rubbish collections was accidental, a fire service has said.

Some services were stopped for two days after the blaze at Dorset Council Depot in Chickerell, Dorset, on 15 November.

The authority said the cost of the damage was expected to be several million pounds.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) said a short circuit in one of the vehicles started the fire.

DWFRS's report concluded the blaze most likely started after high winds and heavy rain led to water entering the lorry's electrical circuits, "causing a short circuit, igniting the internal components of the vehicle and allowing the fire to take hold".

It also noted there may also have been a lightning strike to the vehicle.

Fifteen fire crews battled the blaze at Dorset Council's Crookhill depot

At the height of the fire, 15 fire engines and additional support vehicles attended the scene.

Dorset Council said it "quickly restored" waste collection services in Weymouth and Portland by hiring vehicles and borrowing others from elsewhere across the county.

It added it was "still working on long-term solutions to the loss of most of the waste fleet" covering that area, as well as lorries based at Ferndown and Wareham.

"While the full cost of the incident is still unknown, our insurance arrangements cover us for such an incident," the council said.