ILKLEY'S MP is calling for a national ban on disposable barbecues in public places where there is a high risk of fire.

Robbie Moore used a parliamentary debate to call for a ban, citing the damage barbecues can cause through fires on land such as Ilkley Moor.

The moor has been hit by repeated fires caused by barbecues - including two blazes in one weekend in 2019. The fires spread quickly due to the dryness of the vegetation on Ilkley Moor and can reach sizes as big as 50 acres, putting plants and wildlife in danger.

A ban on the use of disposable barbecues on local moorland was introduced in 2019, but this is set to expire this year. With a consultation period on renewal currently in the works, Mr Moore has called on Bradford Council to ensure this ban is re-introduced as soon as possible.

And he is also calling for further action, arguing for a ban on disposable barbecues in certain public spaces nationally, to cut the risks of devastating blazes. He also wants to see tougher punishments for people causing the fires.

Action is already being undertaken around the country - with the supermarkets Lidl and Waitrose banning the sale of disposable barbecues because of environmental and safety concerns.

Mr Moore, who represents Keighley and Ilkley, said: “Whilst I do not want people to be limited in what they do in their private property, I am afraid the safety and environmental concerns surrounding the use of disposable barbecues in public spaces like Ilkley Moor is too great.

"Ilkley Moor is one of the most beautiful landscapes of its kind, yet it has been shown to be too vulnerable to huge fires caused by small disposable barbecues. Not only is this extremely dangerous for those who use the Moor, but it can cause fatal damage for the vegetation and wildlife on the Moor.

"We have rightly had restrictions in place for the use of disposable barbecues on Ilkley Moor since 2019, but these laws are set to expire. I urge the local authority to reintroduce such a ban on Ilkley Moor, but I also believe the government could go further in implementing a national ban in such public places. Raising this issue in a debate in Westminster, I welcomed the Minister's response that this issue will be looked at and that the government are exploring the options of such a ban.”