Alistair Strathern, the MP for the Hitchin constituency, in Parliament this week asked the Government for reforms to reduce the chance and risk of industrial fires.

In the last year, Hitchin's industrial centre has seen five large fires triggered by metal recycling.

Locally, Strathern has formed a taskforce of local stakeholders, from local councils to the Environment Agency, to work on solutions to prevent more fires in Hitchin,

In Parliament, following many private conversations with ministers on this, Strathern pushed Ministers for stronger powers for the Environment Agency and reform of the recycling of lithium-ion batteries.

Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs minister Mary Creagh in response said she would work to tackle the growing issue,

 Alistair Strathern MP said: "Five times in the last year, people in Hitchin have woken up to plumes of smoke and possible contamination in the air, as time and again local metal recycling plants have caught fire".

"By knocking heads together between councils, the Environment Agency and other authorities with a remit, we are looking to make progress, but there is clearly also a case for national action".

"I will continue to press the minister on this, but I know from my conversations with her that she is alive to the risks in this space. I hope that, over the course of this Parliament, we can deliver real change.

Mary Creagh MP said: "I hope that we will not have to wait for a whole Parliament before we make progress on tackling the issues in the metals recycling business".

"We have also banned single-use vapes to tackle the battery fires they cause".

"I will work with other Ministers across Government to consider how to tackle the growing problem of lithium battery fires."