More than 275 Deliveroo riders receive vital battery safety advice at Leeds Fire Station

More than 275 Deliveroo riders have received vital safety advice from West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service as part of a dedicated roadshow focused on the fire risks linked to lithium-ion batteries, e-bike/e-scooter use and chargers.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service welcomed Deliveroo riders to Leeds Fire Station on Thursday, 14th May 2026, as part of its ongoing Buy Safe. Charge Safe. Dispose Safe. lithium-ion battery campaign.

Following the success of London Fire Brigade’s initiative, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service became the first fire and rescue service in the North of England to host an event of this kind.

The roadshow gave riders the opportunity to speak directly with firefighters and prevention teams about how to buy, charge and dispose of batteries safely. Advice focused on the risks linked to counterfeit chargers, modified e-bikes/e-scooters, tampered batteries, unsafe charging and poor-quality or non-UK compliant products.

Thanks to funding secured through the Office for Product Safety and Standards, the service was also able to create new engagement resources for the event, including a post-incident e-bike/e-scooter display and electrical items presented in interactive safety boxes. These resources helped demonstrate the very real dangers of unsafe batteries and chargers in a clear and practical way. The questionnaires used with riders on the day were also supported through the Office for Product Safety and Standards, helping the service better understand rider awareness and identify where further safety advice may be needed.

The event forms part of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s wider campaign to reduce the number of fires linked to lithium-ion batteries. The Buy Safe. Charge Safe. Dispose Safe. campaign was launched after lithium-ion battery fires surged 93% since 2022.

Campaign testing also found that 98% of fake chargers can cause electric shock or start a fire, while incident reviews suggest around 49% of e-bike fires are linked to counterfeit chargers.

The campaign is supported by Electrical Safety First and is available to fire and rescue services across the UK through the National Fire Chiefs Council.

Rachel Barton, PAIT Engagement Coordinator, who organised the event for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“After months of planning, meetings and developing new resources, I was proud to project manage this event for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and welcome Deliveroo to Leeds Fire Station for their annual Leeds rider roadshow."

“More than 275 riders came through our doors during the day, with every rider receiving vital safety advice around the safe purchasing, charging and disposal of lithium batteries and chargers."

“A huge thank you to Pauline Elevazo, Tom Wellingham, Tony Longo and the wider Deliveroo team for their hard work and support throughout the day. Their encouragement helped ensure riders actively engaged with the safety advice available, and they worked closely with us to identify riders who may have needed additional guidance around their bike batteries."

“I hope we can build on this success and deliver the event again in Leeds next year, as well as across other West Yorkshire districts.”

Dale Gardiner, District Commander for Kirklees at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“E-bikes/e-scooters are used every day by people across West Yorkshire, including many delivery riders who rely on them for work."

“That is why events like this are so important. They allow us to speak directly with the people using these vehicles and give them clear, practical advice that could help prevent a serious fire."

“We know lithium-ion batteries can be extremely dangerous when they are damaged, modified, poorly manufactured or charged with the wrong equipment. By showing riders real examples and talking through the risks face to face, we can help people make safer choices and protect themselves, their homes and those around them.”

Oly Woodcock, Communications and Engagement Officer at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“The Buy Safe. Charge Safe. Dispose Safe. campaign has been a major piece of work for the service over the past 18 months, bringing together prevention, protection, communications, partners and operational colleagues to deliver clear safety messaging around an emerging fire risk."

“From media coverage and campaign content to real-life resources and direct engagement, this event showed the strength of taking an issue from public awareness through to face-to-face prevention work."

“It was brilliant to see the campaign land directly with the people it is designed to support, and the level of engagement from riders throughout the day showed just how important this advice is.”

Pauline Elevazo, Rider Relations at Deliveroo, said:

"Firefighters and preventions teams spent the afternoon speaking directly with riders one to one, looking over bikes and sharing practical guidance on battery safety, safe disposal and what to look out for, including the dangers of counterfeit chargers."

“It was really valuable for riders to hear that advice first-hand from the people who respond to these incidents. This was real, practical safety advice that riders can take away and use every day.”

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is continuing to urge anyone who uses an e-bike/e-scooter to follow three key safety messages:

Buy Safe - only buy e-bikes/e-scooters, batteries and chargers from reputable retailers and check they meet UK safety standards.

Charge Safe - always use the correct charger, never charge batteries while asleep or when you are out, and avoid charging in escape routes.

Dispose Safe - never place batteries or electrical items in household waste or recycling bins. Use proper recycling points for batteries and electrical items.

Anyone who uses an e-bike/e-scooter for work, travel or leisure is encouraged to visit the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service website for more safety advice.

Media Contact:

Oly Woodcock - oly.woodcock@westyorksfire.gov.uk