Earlier this year, it is believed a battery caused a fire in a refuse vehicle in Ferndown.

Dorset Council’s waste services said that when one of their vehicle’s loads started smouldering and smoking, the driver emptied the vehicle in a nearby car park, and the blaze was put out by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue.

A spokesman from the Waste Service said, “This quick action saved our vehicle. The fire service didn’t find the cause of the fire, but suggested it could be a lithium battery or something similar.

“Please doe not put batteries in your rubbish or recycling bin. Use a battery bag or take them to a battery recycling bank.

Cllr Toni Coombs, who represents Verwood on Dorset Council, said she was concerned that people weren’t always dealing with their old batteries sensibly.

She said, “The pink bags which can be put out with your recycling are available from Verwood Town Council offices. Batteries of any kind should never be put in your waste. Apart from the possibility of them causing a fire, they can damage the environment.”

Dorset residents can also go onto the Dorset Council website to request a battery bag which will be posted to you.

Some batteries contain toxic metals such as cadmium and mercury, lead and lithium, which become hazardous waste and pose threats to health and the environment if they are not disposed of properly.