Waste operators were forced to tip the rubbish onto a road in Wallasey, a town in the metropolitan borough of Wirral.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service attended to put out the fire.

Wirral Council said it was unclear what caused the fire, but said it was ‘very worrying’ that crews discovered several gas canisters in the waste.

The chair of the authority’s environment, climate emergency and transport committee, Liz Grey, said: ‘It is only through good fortune that this incident wasn’t worse than it was.

‘Hazardous items that are put in general waste bins have the potential to cause injury to the people who collect and treat our waste, as well as possibly damaging bin lorries and waste disposal and treatment sites and putting them out of action for a period of time.’

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