Sainsbury's and Tesco have temporarily banned the sale of disposable barbecues in all stores across the UK.
Temperatures are set to soar across the country this week as a heatwave hits the UK. The sweltering conditions prompted the Met Office to issue an amber alert for extreme heat.
The warning is in force until 23.59 on Sunday, August 14. Liverpool is set to bask in scorching sunshine as temperatures are expected to hit 30C over the weekend.
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People may be tempted to take advantage of the summery weather by hosting a barbecue in the garden. However, major retailers have moved to ban the sale of disposable barbecues as a precautionary measure.
Marks & Spencer made the move to ban the product during the last heatwave to reduce the risk of fires. It 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."
Tesco and Sainsbury's have followed suit. A spokesperson for Sainsbury's said: "As a precautionary measure we are removing from sale all disposable barbecues until further notice. Safety is our highest priority and we have made this decision due to the hot and dry weather that we are currently experiencing across the country."
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's Fire Commissioner Andy Roe says: "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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