Avon Fire Brigade has issued a timely warning about fuel storage in the lead up to further fuel protests.

Chief firefighter David Hutchings has issued safety instructions describing how a Lincolnshire man died when his lantern ignited petrol vapours in his shed.

He said: "The point of this is to encourage the public to think about safety. I think the death in Lincolnshire says it all petroleum is dangerous and its vapours highly dangerous.

Mr Hutchings advises that a maximum of two approved petrol containers holding no more than two gallons of petrol should be kept.

Stored petrol should be kept away from naked flames, and people are urged to remember the ignition dangers surrounding switches.

He said: "People must take care when switching lights on and off."

Mr Hutchings said that he was not advocating storing petrol.

He said: "We would rather the public didn't store petrol because there are so many rules that garages follow.

"But we have issued this statement on the assumption that they will."

The Avon Fire Brigade recommends that motorists topping up cans in the fresh air, to avoid the risk of fire.