An electric bin lorry operated by Westminster City Council and Veolia burst into flames on Monday.
Firefighters were called at 2:10am with reports of a fire on Mandela Way in Soho.
The London Fire Brigade sent two fire engines and a fire rescue unit to the scene, and said the incident was over by 7:57am.
Half of the vehicle was damaged by the fire but there were no reports of injuries. Oxford Street and Duke Street were temporarily closed.
A spokesperson for Westminster City Council and Veolia said the fire was ‘completely unrelated to the battery in the chassis of the electric refuse collection vehicle and was most likely caused by a flammable item amongst the collected waste materials’.
The spokesperson added: ‘Thankfully, nobody was injured but we urge all residents and businesses not to dispose of batteries, electronic items, vapes and gas canisters in general recycling or waste collection bins because they frequently cause fires.’
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