Dozens of fines have been issued by the council to people having barbecues on the beach.

Brighton and Hove City Council banned the use of disposable barbecues in August last year.

The ban covers a range of public areas, including the beach, the seafront and the city’s parks.

The release of lanterns and balloons are also included in the ban.

Since the restriction came into force, some 38 fixed penalty notices have been issued, the council has revealed.

Those caught breaking the rules can be issued with a £100 fine.

The ban came after a disposable barbecue was thought to have been the cause of a major fire at a waste transfer station in Hollingdean in August 2019.

The council reminded those visiting the seafront this summer to ensure they follow the rules and restrictions to avoid a fine and to ensure other beachgoers are kept safe.

Environmental enforcement officers will be patrolling beaches and parks to ensure people do not violate the order.

The Argus: A fire erupted along Hove seafront in March 2021 after a disposable barbecue was thrown away in a binA fire erupted along Hove seafront in March 2021 after a disposable barbecue was thrown away in a bin

A council spokesman said: “As the summer season begins, we look forward to welcoming visitors to our world-famous beaches, but would urge them to follow our seafront rules, designed to keep beachgoers safe and happy.

“They include a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) banning single-use disposal barbecues, which was introduced last year following city-wide consultation.

“Hot pebbles from discarded barbecues can be extremely dangerous for beach users, while bins have been set on fire after being filled with smouldering charcoal.

“Since its introduction, 38 fixed penalty notices have been issued for breaching the order.

“Whilst we hope that word has spread about the ban on disposable barbecues, our environmental enforcement officers will be out and about this summer, patrolling the beaches, parks and open spaces and issuing notices to those flouting the rules.”

Get more stories delivered to your inbox every day by signing up to our morning newsletter

Many major supermarkets stopped selling disposable barbecues last summer after a heatwave caused wildfires to erupt across Sussex and South East England.

Parts of England had their driest weather for more than a century, creating tinderbox conditions which sparked dozens of fires across Sussex alone.