Marks and Spencer have issued a nationwide ban on a popular summer item in all of its stores.
Making the move as a "precautionary measure" they made the decision to stop selling disposable barbecues across the UK. They originally stopped selling them near national parks and in London but have decided to make the changes on a broader level.
The retailer Tweeted : "At M&S we want to help protect open spaces and reduce the risk of fires. 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."
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M&S are following suit after Co-op decided to stop selling disposable barbecues in 130 shops situated in or within a one-mile radius of national parks, in June last year. In March this year, Aldi said it would no longer sell the items in any of its UK supermarkets in an attempt to protect forests and wildlife.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) praised the supermarket giants as they said: "We want to work with retailers to stop the sale of disposable barbecues and reduce the risk of dangerous grass fires." The LFB has warned that disposable barbecues “pose a significant fire risk if they are not put out properly, causing grass fires in open spaces and scorching the grassed areas”.
Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: "Despite our grass fire warnings, we've still seen some people behaving carelessly and recklessly. We need urgent action now to see a national ban on the sale of disposable barbecues.
"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."
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