Herefordshire bin lorry fires caused by disposable vapes
"We as a county are leading the way when it comes to collecting vapes and other small electrical items as part of our waste collections, but it is incredibly important that people follow the correct procedure and place their small electrical items on top of their bins, and not inside," added Swinglehurst.
The WEEE service forms a part of standard waste collections in Herefordshire.According to the National Fire Chiefs Council, battery fires in bins and at waste sites are at an all-time high.A survey found that 94% of UK council said fires caused by batteries in domestic waste were an "increasing challenge".
Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
Call for volunteers to boost literacy levels in schools
A reading charity based in Nottingham has set a target to place a volunteer in every primary school - as the city and county remain below average in literacy Volunteers, founded in 1996, supports children aged four to 11 with one-to-one reading time during school Jaggard, from the charity, said research showed that children who read for pleasure "will do better" at school, and that this leads to better employment statistics show the percentage of pupils below expected reading, spelling, grammar and punctuation standards in Nottinghamshire and Nottingham has been worse than the England average since at least 2015. Ms Jaggard said five years after the pandemic, which proved "incredibly challenging", the charity now has volunteers in about 90 schools."I think our big focus now is building ourselves back up to what we were pre-Covid and then expanding beyond that."She described literacy across the UK and locally as being in "a bit of a crisis" because of a decline in follows a recent report by the National Literacy Trust, which showed that fewer than one in five children read daily outside of school - the lowest level in two decades."Individual schools are doing an amazing job, they're committed and passionate, but having the time to spend one-to-one with children [to read] is just impossible," she said."Our volunteers go the extra mile, they spend half an hour with the child, they read together, they have a box of resources, and they spend loads of time really getting to know the children." Kate Marusiak, from South Wilford Endowed CofE Primary School, said the scheme was working well for its pupils, and it would be "really fantastic" to extend it to every school."Once you get the right book into children's hands, then actually you can turn around a reluctant reader."I think the relationship that [their school's volunteer] has created with the children is really special. They feel really safe, they feel really happy to get things wrong."It's just a joy to see them giggling or hear them chatting and really see that love of reading develop." 'More volunteers' Ms Jaggard said their target to reach every school in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire would not happen quickly, but that it was "realistic".There are a total of 362 primary schools across both local authority areas, which means the charity is almost 25% towards its goal."We've recently built Bassetlaw back up from losing pretty much every volunteer during Covid, so we're now back in ten schools which is fantastic."It's taking that kind of measuring approach, focussing on the areas that need us most first."She added that to achieve the goal, it required "more volunteers", and to this end the charity had appointed its first ever patron - author and campaigner Jacob Dunne, 33, was jailed in 2011 for manslaughter after he threw a single punch at James Hodgkinson, who died. He was then given help to turn his life around by Mr Hodgkinson's mother, Joan Scourfield, after a restorative justice meeting and has since campaigned against violence alongside Dunne said he struggled at school only read his first book at age of 20, but wants his own two children to have a better added: "We need as many people as possible with some time on their hands that want to have an impact on young children's lives."If you're one of them, then you should reach out and get involved."
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
Anderton Boat Lift: 'Cathedral of the canals' celebrates 150 years
A landmark known as the "cathedral of the canals" has been celebrating its 150th anniversary with a Victorian by Edwin Clark in 1875, Anderton Boat Lift in Cheshire raises vessels 50ft (15m) from the River Weaver to the Trent and Mersey Canal and attracts about 100,000 visitors every pioneering structure meant goods did not have to be transferred between boats and therefore had a smoother passage between the Potteries in Staffordshire - known as a hub for ceramic production – and the port of and attraction manager Ani Sutton said it was an "amazing structure" that had enabled cargo to travel from Northwich to all around the world. The huge iron structure uses two water tanks as counterbalances to transport the boats up and down in what has been described as an "engineering masterpiece". Canal and River Trust north west director Jon Horsfall said: "Anderton Boat Lift took the canal world by storm when it formally opened to boat traffic on 26 July 1875."It was a huge success and attracted distinguished engineers, scientists and guests from all over the world to marvel at the ingenuity of its creation."Ms Sutton said it remained "absolutely a landmark" and was an ancient scheduled monument."That means it's got international recognition throughout the world," she said."There's nothing quite like Anderton Boat Lift so it's really significant to Northwich, it's really significant to the UK but also internationally." 'Spiralling costs' A Victorian fair was held over the weekend to celebrate the structure's Simon Brooks said it had a "wow factor"."I, like everyone else that works or volunteers here, am absolutely passionate about the fact that we've got a great feat of Victorian engineering that we want to preserve for future generations."Mr Horsfall said preserving it as a working monument was "increasingly a challenge" and "spiralling costs" had led to a postponement of a major planned had also been a problem with the lift gates for the last six months, he said."We are hopeful this will be sorted out by our charity's engineers very soon and the boat lift can resume its task of transporting around 3,000 boats a year between the two waterways." Regal reopening Commercial traffic on the waterways declined during the 1950s and 60s, while the use of river water as a hydraulic fluid caused major corrosion the 1980s, the lift was declared structurally unsound and was Sutton said "a wonderful group of volunteers, many who are still with us and still involved in the lift, really fought to get this open again".It was restored after more than £7m was raised to pay for repairs and began operating again in 2002, before the then Prince of Wales officially re-opened it in 2003. Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
Rochdale street wins 'alleyway of the year' for 2025
A protected alleyway has been crowned the best in its borough for the eighth year in Littleborough were recognised by Rochdale Borough Council as part of its annual Alleyways in Bloom event gives residents the chance to "share their love of gardening" by decorating the gate-protected spaces, which were installed in 2017 as part of a council scheme to reduce crime and Simpson, from Shaftesbury Avenue, said he was "delighted" to have once again impressed the judges. 'Thriving community' Shaftesbury Avenue alleyway was described by the council as "a vibrant, attractive and tranquil area" featuring seating, a fairy garden, and an "appealing archway".Mr Simpson said: "While receiving such recognition is gratifying, the value of our protected alleyway extends beyond competitions."Since the gates were installed in 2017, our community has collaborated to establish a safe and welcoming environment for all residents, both current and future."In Castleton, Barry Flynn joined with neighbours in Smalley Street to enter the competition for the third year and secured the runner-up said: "The gates have helped turn a once unused and problematic space into a thriving community garden, which we are continuing to develop and improve."We're delighted to have been chosen again as an example of how alleyways like these can be transformed into a safe haven and welcoming space that not only look great but offer a place for peace and relaxation."The sites at Shaftesbury Avenue and Smalley Street are two of more than 600 protected alleyways across the borough. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
