Bin lorry in near miss as electrical items catch fire in West Oxfordshire

The incident, which occurred during the weekly refuse collection on Tuesday, was caused by electrical items and chemical DIY waste which had been wrongly placed in the general rubbish bins, with potentially major consequences.

Fortunately, smoke from the rear of the truck, collecting rubbish in Woodstock, was quickly noticed by the crew, who called the fire brigade to ensure that the incident did not become more serious.

Cllr Norman MacRae, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Thanks to the quick action of the crew, what could have been an extremely hazardous situation has been successful averted.

“However, it is clearly publicised that batteries and electrical equipment must not be placed in the grey general bins and this careless and thoughtless act potentially put our crew in great danger. Furthermore, the resulting delays to the collection caused added inconvenience to other members of the public.

“If you’re not sure how to dispose of an item, I would encourage any resident to check our website or get in touch to ask for guidance before disposing of it.”

Electrical items or hazardous DIY waste should never be placed in refuse or recycling wheeled bins. Small electrical items, such as kettles and mobile phones, can be recycled in separate black boxes to be collected at the same time as other recycling. Larger items should be taken to Dix Pit household waste recycling centre in Witney.

Small batteries should be placed in an envelope on top of the recycling bin, while larger batteries should again be taken to Dix Pit.