COPELAND Borough Council has been spreading awareness about how to recycle batteries.

“When your waste or recycling is collected, any batteries that are in there are likely to be squashed, compacted, punctured or shredded," a spokesman said.

“When this happens, they can ignite resulting in dangerous fires in bin wagons and waste treatment plants.”

Some councils collect batteries as part of their household collection service, but in most areas you will need to take them to a recycling centre or a collection point in a supermarket, a DIY centre or even your local shop.

As of February 2010, shops selling more than 32kg of batteries a year have to provide battery recycling collection facilities in-store.

Previously, Cumbria County Council has supported the national Take Charge campaign, which urges consumers to only recycle dead batteries using specialist battery recycling services, and to never throw batteries away alongside general rubbish.

For more information on how to recycle, and what can be recycled, visit https://www.copeland.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste.