A warning has been issued after small items, that are found in most households, were thought to have caused a fire at a tip in Leyland.

The council is urging homeowners to recycle their batteries correctly after a fire at Farington Waste Recovery Park on Monday, February 5.

A picture has emerged of the fire at the site.

No damage was caused as the site’s water sprinklers were activated.

'Hidden' batteries are found in a large number of items in homes - from toys, toothbrushes, and remote controls, to mobile phones and vapes.

A spokesperson for the council said: “People are being reminded to recycle batteries properly, after another fire at one of our waste facilities.

“Thankfully, no damage was caused because water sprinklers were activated at Farington Waste Recovery Park.

“Hidden batteries are found in a large number of items in our homes, from toys, toothbrushes, and remote controls, to mobile phones and vapes.”

According to the council, batteries need to be disposed of in the right way because they contain chemicals that are hazardous to the environment.

Lithium batteries can be a fire hazard when they are not recycled. Batteries put into household bins can cause fires at home, in lorries or at your local waste sites.

Do not put batteries directly in your rubbish or recycling bins.

How to dispose of batteries safely

At shops and supermarkets

Recycle batteries in shops where batteries are sold. Find your nearest drop off point on the Recycle Your Electricals website.

Bin collections

Your district council may provide a separate battery collection for small batteries with your kerbside collection.

Recycling centres

All types of batteries can be taken to a recycling centre. Find your nearest recycling centre.

Unused batteries

Donate working but unwanted batteries to charity shops. Check with the shop first.

Car batteries

Take car batteries to a recycling centre.

Lithium batteries

Large lithium batteries can present a fire risk and should be disposed of at a recycling centre.

Take electric bike or escooter batteries to a recycling centre.

Batteries in broken devices

If safe to do so, remove batteries from broken devices and recycle the device and battery separately at a recycling centre.

If you can't safely remove the battery for example in an e-cigarette or electric toothbrush, recycle the device with the battery inside using the small electricals container at household waste recycling centres.