Firefighters have urged people not to bin their vapes.

E-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular and, with more people using the devices, the fire service is seeing more and more incidents relating to them across the country.

A spokesperson for Dorchester Fire Station said: “E-cigarettes are sold with either single-use batteries or lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. These batteries can fail whilst on charge, sometimes with explosive force.

“For this reason, you should not put vapes, disposable or rechargeable into the general waste or recycling bin.

“If at home, you should keep them in a separate container and drop them off at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

“Alternatively, try a vape shop as they will likely have dedicated bins.”

E-cigarettes, also known as personal vaporisers or electronic nicotine delivery systems, are battery powered and simulate tobacco smoking by producing a vapour that resembles smoke.

Some products on the market release vapour without nicotine but with flavours more appealing to younger people.