Battery warning after bin lorry wrecked in fire

A bin lorry has been destroyed after a lithium battery dumped as part of a household's rubbish caught fire, a council says.

During an early morning collection this month in north Warwickshire, bin workers found the fire had started in the back of their vehicle while on a round.

The damaged vehicle will cost about £250,000 to replace or £125,000 to fix just the back end of the truck, a North Warwickshire Borough Council spokesperson said.

No injuries were reported but they urged residents to properly dispose of batteries at local shops or recycling centres.

Lithium-ion batteries are used in many everyday items, such as e-bikes, e-scooters, phones, laptops and vapes.

However they can start a fire without warning and spread quickly, a fire service warned.

Getting rid of lithium batteries in household bins was a serious risk to the council's bin workers, councillor Margaret Bell said.

"A plea to our residents - please do not put batteries or vapes in any of our bins. As a council, we are thankful that no-one was injured in this incident," she added.

Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.