Ban disposable BBQs, London Fire Brigade urges

The sale of disposable barbecues should be banned in Britain, London Fire Brigade's (LFB) commissioner has said.

LFB took 8,302 calls and attended 3,231 incidents last week as the service had its busiest day since World War Two.

The brigade has already warned people against using barbecues in open spaces, grassland or balconies, particularly after the recent heatwave.

Andy Roe said: "We need urgent action now to see a national ban on the sale of disposable barbecues."

More than 30 grass fires in London required at least four fire engines to attend last week.

The commissioner has already written to local authorities asking for a temporary ban on the use of barbecues in all public parks and open spaces.

Mr Rowe added: "They can be bought for as little as £5 and can cause untold damage, especially when the grass is as dry as it has been over the last few weeks.

"Last week is another example of how we are increasingly being challenged by new extremes of weather as our climate changes and we're developing long-term strategies to deal with more incidents like this in the future."

His call comes just a few days after LFB was found by a watchdog to require improvement by every measure it is assessed on.

The 11 areas highlighted include understanding and preventing fires and other risks, making best use of resources and ensuring fairness and promoting diversity.

The response to last week's widespread fires was praised by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, which warned that "beneath the surface deeper-seated problems remain".

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]