According to the council, the incident that occurred last Friday was the region’s sixth bin lorry fire of the year.

The blaze was ignited by a power bank that had been disposed of incorrectly, with the local authority revealing that previous fires had been sparked by electric scooters.

In a statement, the council said: ‘Thankfully, the quick actions of the crew and the Fire and Rescue Service protected the public and limited the damage to a £250,000 refuse collection vehicle.

‘After the fire was extinguished, the material was cleared from the road using a crane and sweepers, and the road re-opened.’

The council has urged residents to make use of dedicated recycling points for electricals, such as the Household Waste Recycling Centre on Redfield Road, to avoid further ‘dangerous and disruptive incidents’.

The statement read: ‘Batteries and rechargeable items of any kind should never be put inside bins because of the fire risk – instead, use a dedicated electricals recycling point – you can find your nearest one at www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk.’

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