Marks and Spencer has revealed it will ban the sale of disposable barbecues across all of its UK stores. The upmarket retailer has pulled the product in a bid to reduce the risk of avoidable fires.
The move comes after record-breaking temperatures were recorded over the course of the summer - in which an all-time high of incidents relating to disposable cookers was reported to fire services across the nation.
The high-street favourite has said it wants to 'help protect open spaces and reduce the risk of fires' by banning the product from stores.
Read more: Three blazes 'exacerbated' by 'extremely high temperatures' during dramatic evening in North East
The Mirror reports that the move came to fruition this week, with a spokesperson for M&S, announcing: "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."
The decision from M&S comes after an increase in blazes across the country. A record heatwave sweeping the nation left areas dry and particularly open to fires. According to the Home Office, disposable barbecues are reportedly responsible for around four per cent of serious fires started accidentally.
The decision by M&S has been welcomed by fire chiefs across the United Kingdom, after experiencing a surge in phone calls and fire incidents over the summer. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) even experienced their busiest day since World War Two.
Commissioner Andy Roe took to social media to urge major supermarkets to completely remove disposable barbecues - with hopes of reducing the risk of wildfires. Speaking of M&S' move, the LFB said: "We want to work with retailers to stop the sale of disposable barbecues and reduce the risk of dangerous grass fires."
And what's more is that Marks and Spencer aren't the only company to make the decision. Last year, the Co-Op stopped selling disposable cookers within one mile of national parks - with Aldi announcing that they were banning them altogether in March to help protect habitats and wildlife.
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