Council plea to bin batteries safely after large fire

A council is urging residents to dispose of batteries and battery-powered items properly, after a large fire at a recycling facility.

Fifty firefighters tackled a blaze caused by a battery at Total Metal Recovery Ltd in Stoke Prior, near Bromsgrove on Tuesday.

Worcestershire County Council said the fire was the "latest warning" of the growing risks posed by batteries entering the waste and recycling system.

It said residents should never place batteries, vapes, power banks or electrical items containing batteries in household bins.

"Products such as vapes, power banks, portable speakers, toys, musical greeting cards and other small electrical items can ignite when crushed, punctured or damaged in household waste," it said.

Councillor Josh Robinson, cabinet member for the environment, added: "This latest fire shows just how quickly things can go wrong when batteries end up in the wrong place."

"These items are small, easy to overlook and often hidden inside everyday products, but the fires they cause are anything but small."

The authority said batteries should be recycled at dedicated collection points at its household waste recycling centres, supermarkets and participating retailers.

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