An East Lancashire local authority has thrown its weight behind a drive to tackle the danger of lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters, which have caused 76 fires in Lancashire since 2020.

They include blazes in bin lorries in Blackburn and Rossendale this year, and a devastating conflagration that ripped through an Exchange Street, Accrington, home in May 2023.

Hyndburn Council's full meeting this month unanimously voted to support the charity Electrical Safety First's campaign on the issue.

It also backed a Liberal Democrat peer Lord Don Foster's ‘The Safety of Electric-Powered Micro Mobility Vehicles and Lithium Batteries Bill’.

A report to Thursday's meeting, by the authority's new Labour leader Cllr Munsif Dad, said: "Fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in e-scooters and e-bikes have multiplied fourfold since 2020, resulting in deaths, hospitalisations, homelessness, and staggering financial losses.

"They store a significant amount of energy in a very small space and are much more powerful than other types of batteries.

"Since 2020, there have been more than 1,000 fires, with nearly 200 people injured, and over a dozen fatalities.

"Homes have been destroyed and the cost to the UK runs into billions of pounds.

"The UK is now facing a disturbing projection of nearly one e-bike or e-scooter fire per day this year, a significant leap from just over one per week in 2020.

"In Lancashire, there has been a year-on-year rise in lithium-ion battery-related fires in the last three years, and three-quarters of them involved a charger.

"On occasions, batteries can fail catastrophically; they can explode and lead to a rapidly developing fire.

"In Lancashire, the number of fires from Lithium-ion batteries was 14 in 2020/21, 27 in 2021/22, and 35 in 2022/23, giving a total of 76 between 2020 and 2023.

"Incident data indicates 29 per cent of incidents involved e-bikes, e-scooters, or hoverboards, fires had mainly started in a bedroom or living room, all Lancashire districts have experienced incidents, and half of incidents occurred between 3pm and 11pm.

"Lord Foster and Electrical Safety First with cross-party support, are promoting 'The Safety of Electric-Powered Micro-mobility Vehicles and Lithium Batteries Bill '.

"They aim to get it into law as soon as possible when parliament reconvenes.

"Nationally, the National Fire Chiefs Council has backed the campaign.

"The safe disposal of lithium-ion batteries is also a key issue, as batteries thrown in household rubbish bins have been linked to an increase in waste fires.

"The Bill proposes policies to regulate the safety standards for e-bikes and e-scooters, and lithium batteries and their safe disposal."