THE dangers of discarded lithium-ion batteries were highlighted at the weekend when fire forced the temporary closure of Wellington’s household waste recycling centre.

The premises, in Poole, had to shut for about three-quarters of an hour when a skip caught alight at about 11.30 am on Saturday.

A Wellington fire crew attended and used a hose reel jet to extinguish the fire.

A Somerset Council spokesperson said the fire was believed to have been caused by a lithium-ion battery inside a vape.

They said: “Nobody was hurt.

“The site was closed for roughly 45 minutes, with the public let back in shortly after the emergency services left.”

Last month, a bin lorry had to dump its load at the recycling centre when a li-on battery set it alight.