A dad has called for disposable barbecues to be banned after his son was left permanently scarred thanks to one being used on a beach. Toby Tyler's son Will needed skin grafts and has been and has been left with lifelong scars after stepping on hot sand where a barbecue had been used.
The family had moved the barbecue hours earlier but the sand was still "red hot" when Will walked over it. Mr Tyler, a teacher, had to carry his then nine-year-old son for 20 minutes to get him to the car. From there he rushed Will to hospital with wife Claire, 44, and daughter Lily, 13, reports MEN.
He suffered burns so severe that the youngster, who is now 11, had to have skin grafts from his right thigh to his left foot.
Will stood on scalding hot sand where a disposable barbecue had been (Image: National BBQ Week)
The Year Six pupil still has to go back to hospital every six to eight weeks for checks. A process which will continue until he stops growing.
Mr Tyler, 52, said disposable barbecues now need to be banned before more people come to harm.
Will suffered severe burns to his left foot (Image: National BBQ Week)
He said the trauma of his son's injury had had a "significant impact” on him both physically and psychologically. This includes PTSD, and "severe anxiety attacks”.
"He has to wear the compression sock all the time, including at school and in swimming and PE", he said "He has massages twice a day, a splint as well as frequent and regular visits to the hospital’s burns unit and psychosocial support unit.
Will had to have skin grafts (Image: National BBQ Week)
“Has to wear special UV shoes - he's very vulnerable to sunlight so doesn’t get that feeling anymore to walk in the sand. Otherwise - he suffered from quite bad anxiety attacks and there was a strong feeling of PTSD affecting him.
"I think it's evolving now and he has been diagnosed with autism since the trauma. I think it has probably always been an issue for Will but the accident has opened or exaggerated pathways.”
Will - pictured with sister Lily - still has to go to hospital for regular checks (Image: National BBQ Week)
Mr Tyler has since launched a petition calling for a ban. He believes there are “far too many risks and dangers” associated with disposable barbecues.
He is also backing National BBQ Week’s “Ditch the Disposable” campaign- which is calling for the government to introduce legislation that would outlaw the items - more than a million of which end up in landfill every year.
“They are awful things and don’t even cook food very well," Mr Tyler said."There are so many reasons not to use them and there are so many better far better alternatives.”
National BBQ Week's founder Brian George, aka the Grillmaster, said: “We have been calling for retailers to Ditch the Disposable since 2020 and this is a prime example of the dire need for a nationwide ban. They may be cheap to buy but they have a heavy environmental price.
"Whilst some national retailers have already put partial bans in place, it’s simply not enough, retailers need to enforce a complete ban or else the UK government needs to step in and enforce a ban.
"In the meantime, I would encourage shoppers to send them a clear message not to buy them and that they have no place on shop shelves in 2022. As we’ve said many, many times, Ditch the Disposable.”
