A fire broke out in a North West Leicestershire District Council waste collection lorry this week - caused by a lithium battery in a wheelie bin.

And that has led to residents being reminded batteries can be recycled safely at the roadside.

The incident happened yesterday (Tuesday, 25 August) while the crews were out collecting black bins in Thringstone and fortunately were able to put the fire out quickly and safely before any major harm was done.

Paul Sanders, Head of Community Services at the district council, said: "We're extremely lucky that no residents or team members were hurt during the incident, and that the vehicle was not damaged beyond repair.

"A lot of residents might not realise that we collect batteries at the roadside and this incident presented a good opportunity to reiterate that message."

 As a result of the fire, the council has taken the opportunity to remind residents in North West Leicestershire that batteries can be recycled safely as part of the normal collection service.

On recycling collection days, both used batteries and mobile phones should be placed in separate recyclable containers and left next to the red recycling boxes.

Using old jam jars or margarine tubs with a lid on to dispose of batteries is particularly useful as these can be recycled afterwards.

Types of batteries that can be recycled include:

•Sizes C and D

•Laptop batteries

•Mobile phone batteries (if removable)

Once collected by crew members, the batteries are stored in a safe compartment until they reach the North West Leicestershire District Council recycling depot.