Patrols ramp up across Hampshire as disposable barbecue ban begins
Heightened wildfire risk prompts enforcement actions
A nationwide crackdown on disposable barbecues is now being enforced across Hampshire, as patrols step up in the New Forest amid a heightened wildfire risk.
Hampshire County Council Trading Standards officers are checking for businesses still selling disposable barbecues after the Government imposed a temporary ban on their sale and supply.
Retailers across Great Britain were told to remove the products from shelves and online sale on August 14, with ministers saying disposable barbecues could not be considered safe amid drought and heatwave conditions.
The restriction will remain in force while the heightened wildfire threat continues.
It comes after a vehicle fire on the A31 spread into surrounding New Forest heathland on August 9, destroying around 1.6 square kilometres of land and forcing the major route to remain closed for extensive repairs.
The county council said its officers were proactively looking for signs of non-compliance as part of their normal work, as well as responding to reports from residents and partner agencies.
A spokesperson said officers would initially ask businesses to remove disposable barbecues immediately if they were found on sale.
Formal enforcement action would only be considered if a trader failed to comply, the council said.
The authority said the work was currently being carried out using existing Trading Standards staff and budgets, with no extra funding or staffing required.
It added that data on the number of complaints, warnings or enforcement cases was not yet available because the ban had only recently come into force.
Residents who spot disposable barbecues being sold have been asked to report the matter first through the Citizens Advice Consumer Service, which can refer suitable cases to Trading Standards for investigation.
The national sales restriction is separate from tougher local rules already in force across much of the New Forest.
New Forest District Council has a public spaces protection order banning fires, barbecues, disposable barbecues and other outdoor cooking equipment in designated public areas.
The order, first introduced in 2023, was extended from July 1 this year and is due to run until June 2029.
Ahead of the extension, 32 staff from the New Forest National Park Authority, Forestry England and the Verderers of the New Forest were trained and authorised to help enforce the order.
They have been joined by volunteers visiting locations across the district, speaking to visitors and monitoring behaviour.
The council stressed the Government’s temporary sales ban is a separate measure, but said it strengthens existing efforts to prevent potentially devastating wildfires in the Forest.