MP calls for disposable BBQ ban for rest of summer

Derbyshire MP Jon Pearce has written to the country's biggest retailers in a bid to stop them selling disposable barbecues for the rest of the summer.

It follows a number of wildfires across the country, including in his own constituency where it is estimated a fire has burned 606 hectares (1,497 acres) - equivalent to 900 football pitches in Tintwistle Moor, near Glossop.

The Labour MP for High Peak said steps were needed to prevent avoidable wildfires amid a changing climate, and will continue campaigning for a full ban in public areas.

Pearce said: "If taking disposable BBQs off the shelves helps prevent even one wildfire this summer, it will have been the right decision."

He added the government needed to introduce a ban on their use in public spaces.

A prolonged heatwave and low rainfall have created conditions rife for fire to spread, and half of England and all of Wales are officially in drought.

"We rightly spend a lot of time talking about tackling climate change, but we also have to recognise that our climate has already changed," he said.

"Hotter, drier summers mean we must do far more to adapt and make our communities, countryside and emergency services more resilient to the risks we're already facing. Preventing avoidable wildfires has to be part of that response.

"This isn't about stopping people enjoying the outdoors. It's about protecting our countryside, supporting our firefighters and preventing avoidable fires before they start."

Some retailers, including Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose and M&S, have not sold disposable BBQs since 2022.

Co-op, Morrisons, Tesco and Home Bargains agreed this year not to stock them in their stores in High Peak this year.

But he wants all retailers to stop selling them across the UK.

Pearce added Co-op and Sainsbury's had confirmed they would be halting sales after he sent his letter on Friday.

England and Wales are on course for the driest July since records began, according to the Met Office.

Fire chiefs have said that wildfires are becoming a "recurring and growing feature of the risks facing our communities" amid a changing climate.

Crews responded to 393 wildfires across England and Wales in July, making it the busiest month on record.

The number of wildfire incidents recorded this year already matches the total annual figures seen in 2021, 2023 and 2024 combined, although the number is below the same point last year when long-lasting drought and heat caused severe fire risks.

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