HOUSEHOLDS across Dorset are once again being reminded of the dangers of placing batteries in their bin following another bin lorry fire.

A Dorset Council Waste Services (DCWS) crew were collecting waste in Tarrant Monkton near Blandford  on Monday (May 5) when they noticed flames coming from the hopper area of the bin lorry.

The quick-thinking crew immediately ejected the load onto the highway and called the fire service, which arrived within 15 minutes.

DCWS believe the fire was started by a battery-powered vacuum cleaner which had been placed in a recycling bin.

READ MORE: Battery left in bin starts yet another fire in Dorset

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When crushed, batteries can catch fire, which can be a big problem if surrounded by flammable items like paper, cardboard and plastic.

DCWS has repeatedly reminded Dorset residents about the risk of improperly disposing of batteries, with many incidents reported since last December.

A spokesperson said: “Batteries and items that contain batteries of any kind should never be placed in any bin.

“Our crews do not manually sort through the contents of any bins before the waste is crushed in the back of our collection vehicles.

“Crushed batteries can cause fires, especially when surrounded by highly flammable material.”

Batteries and battery-powered items can be taken to any of Dorset’s household recycling centres.

Household batteries can be placed in a battery bag (or a clear sealable plastic bag) and left on top of the recycling bin for collection or taken to a shop/supermarket with a battery-recycling point.