An authority has advised people not to recycle sandbags because of the risk of contamination.

Heavy rain hit Oxfordshire last month, flooding homes, closing schools, and submerging roads and rail lines, with emergency services being called to incidents across the county.

At one point more than a month’s worth of rain fell in the space of 36 hours.

Oxford City Council said any used sandbags should be taken to waste recycling centres to be disposed of in landfill.

It said: “If floodwater has reached your sandbags, they cannot be recycled as they may be contaminated.

“You can dispose of used sandbags in the landfill containers at your nearest waste recycling centre.

“If you are disposing of the sand in your garden, wear protective gloves and dig it in the garden – do not spread across lawns or use for children’s sandpits.”

Sandbags not reached by flood water can be stored for future use.

During the floods Oxfordshire County Council urged residents to avoid contact with flood water, warning that it was not clean or suitable for children to play in.