THE boss of Britain’s first national park is appealing for shopkeepers to voluntarily remove disposable barbeques from sale.

Sarah Fowler who heads up The Peak District National park which includes Dovestone Reservoir at Greenfield, said fires are devastating treasured landscapes – and all too often they can be started through carelessness.

In recent days and weeks, organisations and individuals across the Peak District have been involved in tackling incidents involving disposable barbecues on an almost daily basis.

She said: “That is why we are now asking all retailers within the park and along its boundaries, to voluntarily suspend disposable barbecue units from sale with immediate effect.

“We welcome the decision of Spar/Barrons branches in Hathersage and Hope who have already taken this proactive step, and hope more Peak District businesses are willing to work together to safeguard our countryside and communities.

“While we recognise the primary responsibility may lie with the consumer, recent events have demonstrated with stark reality that specific action may now be needed in removing the cause of so many of these incidents.

“A stray spark or piece of ash blown from a barbecue can ignite tinder dry grass and vegetation and lead to catastrophic damage. Alarmingly, many fires are started when users leave behind unextinguished or still-hot disposable barbecuess, which ultimately ignite the ground beneath and around them.

“These preventable fires leave both visible and unseen devastation in their wake – the damage caused to the environment, wildlife, habitats and vegetation takes years to recover.

“Of wider national and global concern, is the impact on the release of carbon when many of these upland areas are no longer able to function in their stable condition once fire has affected them.

“In particular, the moorlands of the Peak District National Park are of international environmental importance, dominated by large expanses of blanket bog and upland heath. These are often disproportionately affected by fire impacts.

“Please help us to protect the National Park, its wildlife and its communities from the enormous risk of long-term by fires, which could so easily be avoided.

“We stand ready to acknowledge any business which makes the change by highlighting their actions via our social media platforms. Please contact us via media@peakdistrict.gov.uk”

Currently, there is no clue about how the blaze at Dovestone began yesterday (Tuesday, June 2).

David Wheeler, a Saddleworth community champion, speaking about the latest moorland fire, said: “These fires are nothing new and unfortunately, one would think we will see more this year.

“However ,while in many parts of the world California and Australia many wild fires are started by lightning strikes almost all the fires in the UK have a human ignition point.

"In most cases this is not malicious in anyway, accidents do happen. With the drop in smoking the discarded cigarette is reducing, sparks from Steam trains can be ruled out except on the Yorkshire moors.

“The disposable barbecue is now in the spotlight, one only has to see how many are sold locally to see how popular they are. There was a photograph on social media this evening of a group walking down a track just off the Isle of Skye Road , taking barbecues and food.

“Previous generations fought for the right to open countryside, the present one needs to respect and protect it,” he added.