LIVE ammunition has been discovered at an Aberdeenshire recycling centre in what could have been a “potentially dangerous situation”, the council has said.
Shotgun cartridges were found among household batteries in a box at Portlethen Recycling Centre on July 23 and the local authority is now encouraging people to discard any live ammunition safely and properly.
Aberdeenshire Council said it was “lucky” the cartridges were spotted and removed safely before being passed on to Stonehaven Police Station for destruction.
Ewan Wallace, of Aberdeenshire Council, said the shotgun cartridges could have led to a “potentially dangerous situation” as he praised the team at the recycling centre for spotting them.
He added: “Batteries are a known fire risk in our recycling streams and to find live ammunition among them presents a real risk to staff, site visitors, and to those we've contracted to transport and recycle the batteries.
“We are urging residents to, please, never take live ammunition to a household recycling centre and never place them in household bins.
“If unsure of where and how to recycle something, site staff are happy to help.”
The councilor said that live shotgun cartridges should only be disposed of by handing them into a local police station or to a registered firearms dealer.
