Disposable barbecues should be banned at beauty spots and parks across a Kent borough before they spark a wildfire, a campaigner believes.

Tory councillor Lloyd Bowen says fields across Faversham, Sittingbourne, Sheerness and Sheppey are now like “tinder boxes” following the dry summer, which saw a firework-induced grass blaze break out at Barton’s Point.

Fearing a repeat of the incident in July, the Conservative is calling for the borough council to start dishing out fines to anyone caught using disposable barbecues on authority-owned land.

The politician insists he is not attempting to be a “killjoy” and that the measures need to be introduced to protect the area’s green spaces.

“It’s just to try to preserve the environment and the green spaces,” Cllr Bowen explained.

“People like going to them in the summer and we shouldn’t have them put at risk by someone with a disposable barbecue.

“Causing a bushfire or wildfire in that area would destroy it.”

It echoes calls from London fire chief Andy Roe, who this summer called for a national ban on the sale of disposable barbecues in the wake of field blazes across the country.

Council byelaws from 2005 outlaw the use of anything “likely to cause a fire” on council-owned land, but do not explicitly prohibit disposable barbecues.

The proposed ban would cover places like Oare Gunpowder Works, Leysdown Coastal Park and The Blean.

Cllr Bowen is particularly concerned about the risk to green spaces like Barton Point.

“It didn’t end up being a particularly big fire there, but it’s just an example of how quick these things can occur when the grass is so dry,” he added.

“You put an extra heat source onto it, and before you know where you are you’ve got a fire.

“In an extreme case if there was a severe fire then you’ve got property that could be at risk.”

Cllr Bowen also worries people could be "injured by the barbecues on beaches" if revellers unwittingly stand on them.

The borough council has already prohibited the use of sky lanterns and balloons in a bid to protect the environment.

And Cllr Bowen thinks the authority “could lead the way” by also outlawing disposable barbecues, before “lobbying the government” for national restrictions to be introduced.

He will deliver a motion on Wednesday, December 7, calling for the ban.

If it passes, a committee will explore the possibility of dishing out fines to people caught using disposable barbecues by council officers.

Canterbury City Council launched a consultation into similar proposals for beaches over the summer.

If given the green light, those plans will see the lighting of barbecues and swigging of booze from bottles being prohibited in more than on the coast in Whitstable and Herne Bay.

When asked about Cllr Bowen’s proposals, a Swale spokesman said: “Councillors will debate at a future meeting on the use and enforcement of disposable barbecues.

“While the byelaw does not specifically mention barbecues, we would advise residents not to use them in a public place.”