COMMENT:Thoughtless actions can turn fun into disaster    Â

Eating al fresco is one of the great joys of summer '” particularly during the kind of heatwave we are experiencing.

Disposable barbecues have become a popular way of catering for families or groups of friends out in the open air, and are a common sight on beaches and the wide open green spaces of Southsea Common, where special areas have been designated.

But while they can be the centre of a social occasion and a source of conviviality, there are dangers associated with disposable barbecues.

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Users need to be particularly careful if there are children near their gathering, but when the cooking stops and all the food is eaten, the potential danger continues.

We have already run stories this summer about the dangers caused by barbecues that have not been properly disposed of causing fires in rubbish bins  they should be disposed of in properly-marked, metal-lined containers.

Such a danger remains a concern of firefighters who have warned people to be alert to the risks of improper disposal.

Whoever left a disposable barbecue grill on the ground near an overflowing bin, on Southsea Common at the weekend, may have thought they were doing the right thing '“ but far from it.

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They left a sharp-edged obstacle lying around that injured three-year-old Lilly Jones, who unwittingly stepped on it and ended up with a bloody gash on the back of her leg.

It hardly bears thinking about how much worse her injury could have been if the metal grill had still been hot.

The message to barbecue users has to be: If the nearest bin is full, find another one. If you can't then find a way to take your rubbish home and dispose of it safely.

We hope whoever left that grill inon the common enjoyed their meal, but we also hope they will dispose of their next barbecue waste more responsibly.

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