Marks & Spencer is stopping selling disposable barbecue in all of its UK stores.
In the midst of a summer that has seen record-breaking temperatures and exceptionally dry conditions, the retailer said it wants to “help protect open spaces and reduce the risk of fire”.
M&S tweeted: “We have already stopped selling disposable barbecues in national parks and in London, but given the unusually hot and dry conditions, we have taken the precautionary step of removing them from sale across the UK. “
The London Fire Brigade (LFB), calling for a ban on disposable barbecues, said it was good news.
On Twitter, LFB said: “We look forward to working with retailers to stop the sale of disposable barbecue and reduce the risk of dangerous grass fires.”
London’s Fire Commissioner Andy Rowe has written to local authorities calling for a temporary ban on the use of barbecue in all public parks and open spaces.
Tinder-dry conditions across the UK have fueled numerous wildfires, some of which have destroyed homes and crops, and prompted the banning of disposable barbecues behind many blazes.
New data showed that week starting 18 julyThe LFB received 8,302 calls and participated in 3,231 incidents, involving over 1,000 fires.
Mr Roe said: “Despite our hay fire warnings, we still see some people behaving carelessly and recklessly.
“We need immediate action to see a national ban on the sale of disposable barbecue.
“They can be bought for as little as £5 and can cause untold damage, especially when the grass has been dry in the past few weeks.”
He said the recent events are “another example of how we are increasingly being challenged by new extremes of weather as our climate changes”.
LFB is supporting a Petition on Parliament’s website Called for a “complete ban on the sale and use” of disposable barbecue in the UK.
It comes after it was revealed that July has been the driest in parts of England since records began, according to provisional data from the Met Office.