Council urges shops to suspend disposable BBQ sales

A council has urged shops to temporarily halt the sale of disposable barbecues (DBBQs) during the current hot spell.

Dorset Council said stores should follow voluntary guidelines from the British Retail Consortium, which say retailers will "respond to reasonable, evidence-based Local Authority requests to remove DBBQs from sale".

The county currently has a "very high" fire severity index rating according to Natural England, which is one tier below the top rating of "exceptional".

However, the government has previously said barbecue-related fires are relatively rare, amounting to 229 out of 45,673 accidental primary fires in 2024.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has previously identified disposable barbecues as the cause of wildfires, such as one which devastated part of Studland Heath in 2022.

However, many blazes have been blamed on deliberate ignition or other causes.

Dorset Council said it was worried about the county's "internationally important heathlands, nature reserves, farmland and coastal habitats".

"Even a single spark or lingering ember can cause significant damage to wildlife habitats, threaten nearby properties, and put lives at risk," it added.

Litter Free Dorset, which is supported by the council and other organisations, said some retailers were ignoring the guidelines.

Coordinator Emma Teasdale said: "Last month we saw amber and red extreme heat warnings issued by the Met Office, and retailers continued to sell disposable barbecues that are clearly a fire risk."

In December, Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Vikki Slade introduced a parliamentary petition to ban disposable barbecues altogether.

The government responded by saying it had no plans for a blanket ban, although it said councils could ban the use of barbecues on public or council land.

Some large supermarket chains have already opted not to stock disposable barbecues for environmental reasons.