A Keswick politician has vowed that disposable barbecues should be banned in the Lake District.

Councillor Tony Lywood, who represents Keswick at town and county level, has previously put a motion forward at the Lake District National Park to ask for the banning of disposable barbecues and is calling for safeguarded barbecue areas to be looked into instead.

Mr Lywood stated: "To light any form of fire on someone else's land, you require permission and that permission is largely held by the likes of United Utilities, the National Trust and the National Park. most large landowners do not allow them anyway. I've asked for the disposable barbecues to be removed from the shelves of shops in the National Park.

"I understand that realistically, a large number of disposable barbecues are not bought here necessarily. They are brought here from other areas and we can't stop that."

Mr Lywood also expanded on what he feels could represent a realistic solution to the issue.

He said: "Obviously, I think having a barbecue is a fun and sociable thing to do but it needs to be done somewhere that is safe. I don't think outdoors on the open fell in the lake district is the place to do it.

"What I would like to see is investment from the local authorities into areas where barbecues are welcomed and encouraged. These are areas where people can do this safely.

"So I am all in favour of removing barbecues from supermarkets within the National Park. They are inappropriate and dangerous. they are dangerous to wildlife and are not good for the environment at all."