Marks and Spencer has announced a nationwide ban on a popular summer item in stores across the UK.
The retailer has confirmed disposable barbecues will no longer be on sale in M&S stores in a “precautionary step” amid a string of heatwaves in England and Wales.
A tweet from the official M&S account said: "We'd already stopped selling disposable barbecues near national parks and in London but given the unusually hot and dry conditions, we've taken the precautionary step of removing them from sale across the UK."
READ MORE: Met Office in extreme heat warning for England and Wales while Scotland avoids high temperatures
Met Office weather warnings - what do they mean?
BBQ warning ahead of UK heatwave
The move comes as firefighters warn there is an increased risk of fires due to the heatwave.
In the last five years, London’s firefighters have attended almost 600 fires involving barbecues - 45 of which were on private balconies.
The Brigade’s assistant commissioner for fire safety, Charlie Pugsley, said: “We want people to enjoy the glorious weather and do so safely.
“Barbecuing on dry grass is reckless and can easily cause a really serious fire – damaging the immediate area and risking nearby properties.
“We’re also urging people to think twice about having barbecues on balconies.
“It’s easier than you might think for a balcony fire to spread to others, which could not only leave you homeless but displace hundreds of your neighbours too.
“We’re not trying to take the fun out of the heatwave, but for the sake of our city – and of our firefighters who have to work in sweltering temperatures to tackle these blazes – we’d really like people to take our advice on board.
“We’re asking the public to remain vigilant and call 999 as soon as they see any signs of smouldering grass.”
The London Fire Brigade appeared to praise the move from M&S, tweeting: "We want to work with retailers to stop the sale of disposable barbecues and reduce the risk of dangerous grass fires.”
Temperatures are set to rise to the mid-30s in parts of southern England as high pressure brings more hot, dry weather, following months of low rainfall which have left the country facing the spectre of drought.
The conditions have left the countryside, as well as urban parks and gardens, extremely dry, raising the risk of more devastating wildfires, with rivers, groundwater and reservoirs at low levels.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel