The fun police are out in force again, with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) suggesting hoverboard users ride with a fire extinguisher in hand.

Sadly, we're not joking, and no, it's not just so you can create some futuristic-looking smoke show as you roll along.

Instead, the nanny-state suggestion has been made as part of a wider set of safety guidelines surrounding the popular personal transportation units.

Covering everything from wearing elbow pads to steering clear of roads, the CPSC advice moves beyond the common sense into the simply farcical.

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The guidelines suggest all hoverboard users should "have a working fire extinguisher nearby while charging or using these boards".

The suggestion has been made after a number of cheaper boards were found to have burst into flames whilst charging due to avoiding safety standards.

Further rules of suggested hoverboard use include charging devices "in an open area away from combustible materials".

It's far from the first time that hoverboards have been the subject of a health and safety crackdown. Last year, it was made illegal to ride them on the road or pavement in the UK.

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