WITH reference to Duncan Hopper’s letter about barbecues in public spaces (The Argus, April 26), I live opposite Hove Lawns and walk past there twice a day.

I have noticed the new “NO BBQ” signs which appeared recently and have also seen how little effect they have had on the prevalence of oblong-shaped burns on the grass.

Yesterday, I screwed up my courage and spoke to an apparently unthreatening family group sitting on the grass beside their two disposable barbecue trays.

I mentioned the irreversible damage done to the grass, to be told that “it would grow back”.

I think Brighton and Hove City Council has missed a trick by not explaining to people why grass will not grow back.

A grass fire, which can rapidly spread, burns off the blades on top but leaves the root system underneath reasonably intact. This may well “grow back” and the grass may even look better after a few weeks.

However, a contained fire in a flat-bottomed metal container – which is in contact with the same patch of grass for an hour or more – not only destroys the root system of the grass, but sterilises the soil beneath for a distance of several inches.

So, when a barbecue tray is thrown away, a patch of sterile earth, with bacteria and any insects, is destroyed and no root stock or seeds are left to deliver re-growth.

This is why the burned patches persist throughout the winter and are still bare when the new season’s grass is coming through.

I believe a simple sign that says, “damage to the grass from barbecues is permanent” might make people more willing to set up their barbecues on the beaches where they are allowed.

Alternatively, concrete benches for barbecues could be erected in a designated “cooking area” beside the lawns. The initial expense would hopefully be offset by the maintenance costs.

Fiona van Zwanenberg, St Catherine’s Terrace, Hove