A SHOP in Bala has taken the decision to stop selling disposable BBQs.

The move follows a number of incidents of bin fires and BBQs being left still smouldering in and around Snowdonia National Park.

Siop Kel have decided to take the action to support the National Park.

Kelly Nicholson, who owns the shop, said the huge influx of tourists and the hot weather has led to Bala lake becoming “a dumping ground of rubbish”, with BBQs left “still smouldering and put into bins causing bin fires”.

“Our wardens are working tirelessly to keep our lake and surrounding areas safe, but with reckless behaviour like this a big accident is waiting to happen,” she added. “Our emergency services are already stretched to the max.

“We will do anything to protect our lovely lake and beautiful surroundings areas. We need to work together on this to protect our Snowdonia national park.”

A spokesperson for Snowdonia National Park said: “After disappointing scenes over the warm weather, we are glad to hear that Siop Kel has decided to take action and remove the sale of disposable BBQs in their shop to support the National Park. Diolch. Thank You.”

The shop’s move follows that of Co-op stores in June. The supermarket said then some stores in Meirionnydd and Powys would no longer sell instant BBQs in a move designed to prevent wildfires.

The company announced it was withdrawing the sale of them in stores situated in, or within a one-mile radius of, all UK national parks, in a move designed to help prevent devastating wildfires.

Stores in Bala, Barmouth, Dolgellau and Tywyn, which fall within the radius to Snowdonia National Park were affected by this. The Co-op store in Machynlleth also no longer sells the BBQs.

Millions of instant barbecues are sold every year and are safely used and enjoyed by the vast majority of people however many national parks and some landowners have introduced a ban on their use.

Adele Balmforth, buying director at Co-op said in June: “Whilst the majority of consumers use, extinguish, and dispose of instant BBQs safely, and we continue to sell many of them from our stores across the UK, we respect that local decisions to protect the parkland have to be made.

“Where we have stores in, and within a one-mile radius, of a national park we have removed instant BBQs from sale to help protect the communities in which we serve.”