Here at Stockhead, we understand the appeal of keeping your vehicle smelling fresh and clean.

But the application of in-car air fresheners — like (almost) anything — is best done in moderation.

Evidently, a motorist in the UK region of West Yorkshire doesn’t heed those words.

Having sprayed what appears to be an ungodly amount of air freshener into his black hatchback, the driver then lit a cigarette — and promptly blew up his car.

Firefighters quickly attended at the scene and blamed the explosion on the combination of an openly-lit flame and excessive aerosol fumes.

The force of the blast blew out the car’s windscreen, as well as the windows of some nearby businesses. Somehow, the driver got out in one piece and was treated at the scene by paramedics.

It was a little bit less explosive on local markets this morning, as the ASX200 rose by 0.10 per cent to 6,855 while the Small Ords index climbed 0.12 per cent higher to 2,919.

GOING UP

Lithium miner Prospect Resources (ASX:PSC) was among the winners, after its Arcadia project in Zimbabwe got a boost following news that PSC had arranged $US143 million project finance debt facility with the African Export-Import Bank, which will fund and hold $US75m of the amount itself.

Also jumping sharply this morning was biotech stock Antisense Therapeutics (ASX:ANP), which reported strong preliminary results from a clinical trial for its ATL1102 drug, used in the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Tuesday December 17:

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Code Name Price % Chg Market Cap
BAS Bass Oil Ltd 0.003 +50.00% $10.0M
CCE Carnegie Clean Energy Ltd 0.0015 +50.00% $16.7M
PSC Prospect Resources Ltd 0.22 +30.30% $50.7M
NOX Noxopharm Ltd 0.31 +21.57% $40.3M
CUX Crossland Strategic Metals Ltd 0.01 +20.00% $6.1M
ANP Antisense Therapeutics Ltd 0.096 +18.29% $41.4M
SVA Simavita Ltd 0.027 +17.39% $11.3M
CE1 Calima Energy Ltd 0.007 +16.67% $15.1M
DHR Dark Horse Resources Ltd 0.0035 +16.67% $8.3M
DW8 Digital Wine Ventures Ltd 0.007 +16.67% $7.3M
LNY Laneway Resources Ltd 0.007 +16.67% $26.0M
PG1 Pearl Global Ltd 0.12 +15.00% $23.1M
CZR Coziron Resources Ltd 0.008 +14.29% $16.7M
AXE Archer Materials Ltd 0.13 +13.64% $27.6M
CPV Clearvue Technologies Ltd 0.17 +13.33% $18.9M
DEG De Grey Mining Ltd 0.05 +12.50% $46.7M
SNS SenSen Networks Ltd 0.11 +12.50% $50.3M
AZI Alta Zinc Ltd 0.009 +12.50% $19.8M
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GOING DOWN

A number of micro-caps ticked lower in the morning session — mainly across the resources and energy sectors — although no large falls were driven by new announcements.

Among the losers was Lithium Australia (ASX:LIT), which came off the boil following a recent rally one day after announcing a $6.3 million funding agreement with a subsidiary of The Lind Partners funds management group.

READ: Patience … lithium prices could be in the toilet for a while

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Tuesday December 17:

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Code Name Price % Chg Market Cap
PCL Pancontinental Oil & Gas NL 0.002 -33.33% $5.4M
IKW Ikwezi Mining Ltd 0.002 -33.33% $8.1M
DTR Dateline Resources Ltd 0.002 -33.33% $16.4M
SKN Skin Elements Ltd 0.01 -23.08% $1.6M
OXX Octanex Ltd 0.007 -22.22% $1.9M
NZS New Zealand Coastal Seafoods 0.012 -20.00% $6.4M
1AD Adalta Ltd 0.096 -20.00% $15.7M
TPD Talon Petroleum Ltd 0.002 -20.00% $3.6M
LIT Lithium Australia NL 0.06 -18.92% $32.5M
NGY NuEnergy Gas Ltd 0.009 -18.18% $13.3M
VAL Valor Resources Ltd 0.003 -14.29% $5.7M
CLA Celsius Resources Ltd 0.012 -14.29% $9.1M
SCN Scorpion Minerals Ltd 0.013 -13.33% $2.3M
MCT Metalicity Ltd 0.0035 -12.50% $2.5M
ENT Enterprise Metals Ltd 0.01 -12.50% $3.2M
OKJ Oakajee Corp 0.04 -11.90% $3.4M
EHX EHR Resources Ltd 0.07 -11.25% $9.0M
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