Battery thought to have caused landfill site fire

A fire that sent thick smoke into the sky around Ascot is thought to have been caused by a lithium battery exploding.

Fire crews from across Berkshire were sent to Shorts' landfill site in St George's Lane at about 19:30 BST on Wednesday.

Shorts said it was "very likely" the battery was unintentionally mixed in with general waste, apologised for the impact on the community and thanked the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service for its help.

"Our team works hard to separate waste correctly, but when batteries end up in general waste, they can pose a serious risk to staff, emergency services and the wider public," it said.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said one crew remained at the scene on Thursday lunchtime and was dampening down the fire.

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