Battery warning after bin lorry fire

People are being warned not to throw batteries in their waste bins, after a fire in a refuse lorry.

The lorry caught alight at about 08:40 GMT on Minerva Way in Cambridge, the county's fire service said.

A spokesperson for the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Services group said "the lorry was collecting blue bin recycling, and a battery or batteries... are the likely cause".

The fire service said two crews attended and the cause of the fire was determined to be accidental.

Posting on Facebook, Cambridge City Council wrote: "Our crew found a safe place to unload the recycling to stop the fire spreading, and we're grateful to Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue for their prompt assistance.

"Batteries and vapes that end up in bin lorries do cause fires like this."

The council advised people to put their small household batteries "in a small plastic bag, tied shut and left on the top of any of your household wheelie bins on collection day".

It added: "You can also drop off batteries for recycling at supermarkets and other big shops.

"Larger batteries, like e-bike batteries, should be taken to the large household recycling centres like the one at Milton, where vapes can also be taken for recycling."

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