Council bans BBQs at parks over fire risk

The city council said it wanted to support the fire service as temperatures are expected to rise

Nottingham City Council has said it is banning barbecues at its parks to avoid "any risk of fire" as hot weather is expected over the next few days.

The council said the ban would be in place at all parks and open spaces across the city, including Colwick Country Park.

A spokesperson for the authority said they wanted to support firefighters during the anticipated dry spell.

Signage advising residents on the ban is now in place, the council said.

A council spokesperson said: "We’re banning barbeques in all our parks and open spaces including Colwick Country Park to avoid increasing any risk of fire, as temperatures are expected to reach over 30 degrees over the next few days.

"We’re keen to support our colleagues at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue who continue to have their services stretched currently by the conditions."

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for extreme heat covering four days from Thursday to Sunday for parts of England and Wales.

During last month's heatwave, Nottinghamshire Fire Service said their control room had taken 906 calls in 36 hours, against an average of 110 in 24 hours.