Remember, remember, do not burn mattresses on the 5th November

As November 5th arrives people are being urged not to use bonfires as an excuse to burn their old or unused mattresses, the Westmorland Gazette reports.

Phil Greenup, the environmental health officer at South Lakeland District Council, says that the smoke caused from burning mattresses and other garden or household waste such as tyres or plastic can have a harmful effect on the environment.

As well as being a nuisance to neighbours, the fires can also get out of control quickly which may lead to serious incidents.

Andrew Brodie, from Kendal fire station, said: "It's very easy for a fire to spread out of control or for embers to find their way into the eaves of houses where they can smoulder for some time before catching light."

A new way to effectively dispose of old mattresses could come in the form of a new recycling plant in the Midlands which is designed to shred them in under a minute.

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