Parks warning over barbecue ban

Barbecues are illegal in the Royal Parks

The Royal Parks has issued a warning over illegal barbecues in its London parks during the hot weather.

Two years ago an historic oak tree in Richmond Park, south-west London, was burned down by a disposable barbecue.

The warnings come as Londoners swelter in hot weather, with Friday's temperatures expected to reach 31C.

The Royal Parks says the use of disposable barbecues - or collecting deadwood for fires - is illegal and people can be prosecuted.

A Royal Parks spokesman said: "Unfortunately barbecues are quite a risk in parks, particularly in dry summer periods.

"There's an awful lot of dry grass and also trees. For example, we lost the oak tree because someone put a disposable barbecue in it.

"That tree was 500 years old and it supported well over 100 individual species of animal and fungi, and it was gone in a couple of hours because someone decided to do something foolish with a barbecue."

The Royal Parks are Bushy Park, Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park (with Primrose Hill), Richmond Park and St James's Park.