UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to consider banning disposable barbecues. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Stevenage, Burnham said a ban was something the government was "certainly going to consider". The statement comes amid heightened fire risk due to extreme heat in the country.
Today, Burnham will chair an emergency Cobra meeting in response to the extreme heat.
Fire risk and disposable barbecues
The Prime Minister noted that there is a significant problem of wildfires in the south. "The New Forest fire is a great concern; we have seen them in northern areas, as well as Suffolk recently," he said.
Addressing the public, Burnham said: "This is a message for the public as well because the wildfires I mentioned, many of them have been created by disposable barbecues. I do believe we need to get the message out loud and clear. People should not be using those barbecues outside at this moment in time."
He added: "I don't know yet what the remedy is, but I do want to leave the meeting today with a loud and clear message that we do want people to take the greatest possible care when they are out in the countryside, both in terms of cigarettes, but also those temporary barbecues that we know are causing risk of fires."
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