Council's plea after vape sparks bin lorry blaze

A council in Nottinghamshire has urged residents to put items in the correct bins after a lithium battery believed to have come from a vape sparked a bin lorry fire.

Rushcliffe Borough Council said firefighters were called after there was an "explosion" on the vehicle on Patrick Road in West Bridgford.

The authority said nearly all of the bin lorry's load had to be dumped on the road to help extinguish the fire and it took more than two hours to clear the waste back into smaller vehicles.

It advised residents that lithium batteries and vapes should be disposed of at local waste recycling centres.

Rob Inglis, portfolio holder for environment and safety, said the blaze was a "stark reminder" to place the "right items in the right bin".

"To the minority, irresponsible actions like this can place our teams at huge risk and the subsequent clear-up has been significant," he said.

He added: "Please dispose of vapes and their batteries at your local recycling centre or place the batteries in a separate bag on the top of any bin when put out for collection.

"Small electrical items from this list can also be placed on the top of blue bins or other items should be carefully at your local recycling centre or through our bulky waste service .

"Fires like this are sadly more common across the country.

"Please play your part and do not put our brilliant waste teams at risk by placing vapes, batteries or other electrical items in any bin."

Listen to BBC Radio Nottingham on Sounds and follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.