Bin lorry fires caused by disposable vapes

Two bin lorry fires were found to have been caused by disposable vapes, a council has said.

Herefordshire Council said the vapes had been put inside household recycling bins.

It urged residents to place small electrical items - including vapes - in a plastic bag on top of bins, to be collected by its new waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) service.

"Two fires caused by vapes have needed to be tackled... which not only disrupts waste collection and recycling, but also uses up valuable time for the fire service," said councillor Elissa Swinglehurst, cabinet member for environment.

"We as a county are leading the way when it comes to collecting vapes and other small electrical items as part of our waste collections, but it is incredibly important that people follow the correct procedure and place their small electrical items on top of their bins, and not inside," added Swinglehurst.

The WEEE service forms a part of standard waste collections in Herefordshire.

According to the National Fire Chiefs Council, battery fires in bins and at waste sites are at an all-time high.

A survey found that 94% of UK council said fires caused by batteries in domestic waste were an "increasing challenge".

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