Residents in Shepton Mallet are being urged not to put gas canisters in their kerbside recycling after a serious fire was narrowly avoided at a Somerset recycling facility.

Somerset Council and its waste collections contractor, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, have issued the warning following a rise in gas canisters being wrongly disposed of in blue recycling bags – nearly 1,500 in the last six months.

A fire broke out at a sorting site last Friday, and it was only thanks to the swift action of staff that no one was injured and the facility was not destroyed.

Matthew Canning, Contract Director at SUEZ, said: "It is only a matter of time before this happens again due to the amount of canisters in the recycling. We really need residents' help to stop this from happening."

Cllr Richard Wilkins from Somerset Council added: "These canisters are pressured and can spark an explosion when crushed. Collection crews may not spot them in blue bags, but they can cause real danger during sorting."

Residents are reminded they can safely dispose of small gas canisters at any of Somerset's 16 recycling sites. Full details are available at www.somerset.gov.uk/waste.