Canterbury City Council bans disposable barbeques on beaches

Fines of £100 will be issued once the ban comes into effect in April

A ban on using disposable barbecues on beaches has been approved by a Kent council.

Fines of £100 will be issued for using single-use grills on a 14-mile stretch of beach between Seasalter and Reculver from the beginning of April.

Canterbury City Council will also outlaw open fires on the coast as well as jumping off Whitstable harbour and Herne Bay pier.

Similar rules are in force at beauty spots across the Canterbury area.

During an authority-led consultation on the changes, 621 people opposed outlawing disposable barbecues, while 545 supported the move, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Some supporters of the change pointed to a fire caused by a disposable barbecue 14 years ago that gutted four beach huts.

Opponents called the new rules draconian and said they would not be enforceable.

Similar bans have been brought in force by various councils around the country, including in Brighton and Hove in July 2022.

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].