Hartlepool Council warns residents of the dangers of incorrectly disposing of lithium batteries.

Hartlepool Borough Council asks that people either speak to outlets about taking products back for recycling or take batteries to the Household Waste Recycling Centre, in Burn Road, for disposal free of charge.

Lithium batteries are generally found in devices such as mobile phones and laptops but can also be found in toys and musical greetings cards.

Paul Hurwood, Hartlepool Borough Council’s environmental services manager, said: “This seems to be an increasingly common problem and it is probably due to the increasing numbers of lithium batteries finding their way into the waste stream.”

Batteries that are crushed, compacted or smashed in bins can explode and ignite and, if wet, can short-circuit with similar results.

The safety alert has been issued by the Council following a series of incidents around the UK where lithium batteries have exploded and caught fire.