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Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
National
Estel Farell-Roig & Aaron Morris

Asda and Lidl join other major supermarkets in banning disposable barbecues due to safety fears

All of the United Kingdom's major supermarkets have now culled disposable barbecues from shelves, amidst safety concerns during humid temperatures across the nation.

Asda and Lidl are the latest retailers who have recently removed the summer product from sale, joining Aldi, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, the Co-Op, Waitrose and M&S.

There are severe concerns that disposable barbecues have the potential to start wildfires after a long spell of dry weather, with a drought being declared across eight areas of England alone yesterday (August 12).

Read more: Four barbecue rules that could see you fined up to £150

The Mirror reports that a Tesco spokesman, previously said : "In light of the ongoing heatwave and dry conditions, we've now made the decision to temporarily pause the sale of disposable barbecues across the UK. We know these products are popular with our customers and they'll be back on shelves once the weather conditions make it safe to do so."

Morrisons and the Co-Operative initially limited sales of said BBQs from outlets situated within one mile of a National Park - but both have since moved to a national ban until further notice. Asda and Lidl joined the other retailers in the move on Friday, reports the Guardian.

Sainsbury's announced that it was taking the action as a 'precautionary measure' and will continually monitor customer feedback. A spokesman, said: "Safety is our highest priority and we have made this decision due to the hot and dry weather we are currently experiencing. We will continue to monitor the situation and listen to customer feedback."

Chronicle Live reported earlier this month how Marks and Spencer announced a ban of disposable barbecues across all its stores across the UK - saying that it had pulled the product in a bid to reduce the risk of fires. The high street giant said they wish 'to help protect open spaces and reduce the risk of fires'.

A spokesperson for M&S, said: "We'd already stopped selling disposable barbecues near national parks and in London. But given the unusually hot and dry conditions, we've taken the precautionary step of removing them from sale across the UK."

Aldi and Waitrose also made the same decision back in March of this year, reports the MEN. While no date has been specified, it is understood that disposable barbecues may be back on sale after the heatwave is declared over.

The Home Office has previously said the foil grills are responsible for 4% of serious accidental fires.

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