BINMEN are being put in danger’ by inconsiderate residents dumping dirty tissues in their recycling.

Barrow MP Simon Fell called on people to think of others after Mike Starkie, mayor of Copeland, shared a picture of the disgusting discovery on his Facebook page.

Mr Starkie urged residents to consider the safety of the recycling crew at a time when the possibility of contracting coronavirus "presents a real danger to staff".

“Please do not put our crews in danger by including used tissues in your recycling, as someone did recently,” he said.

“Even under normal circumstances used tissues are not accepted for recycling, but during a pandemic it presents a real danger to staff. Used tissues can be added to your household waste bin.”

Mr Starkie’s plea was echoed by Mr Fell.

“People need to think of others during this crisis,”he said.

“We’re asking people to practice social distancing to stop the spread of the virus and local residents should think carefully about other ways that they might pass on germs at this time.”

A recent New England Journal of Medicine study, tested how long the virus can remain stable on different kinds of surfaces within a controlled laboratory setting. The researchers found that it was still detectable on copper for up to four hours, on cardboard for up to 24 hours, and on plastic and steel for up to 72 hours. The authors pointed out that the amount of virus decreased rapidly over time on all surfaces so the risk of infection would probably decrease over time as well.