After a surge in calls to the station about barbecue fires, firefighters are urging people to grill safely.

Fire fighters from Rickmansworth Fire Station have launched a campaign informing people how to cook carefully outdoors.

The campaign centre piece is a display at the station showing two firefighters extinguishing a barbecue fire.

Fire fighter Steve Mosley said: “Thankfully fires involving barbecues are rare and injuries are rarer still.

"It’s such a shame when finally we get some good weather and people quite understandably want to make the most of the sunshine but end up having to call the fire service.

“This summer alone we’ve seen injuries where flames from a barbecue got out of control and the residents tried to extinguish the fire themselves.

“Being dressed in t-shirt, shorts and flip flops is no way to tackle a blaze. Rickmansworth firefighters really want people to enjoy the good weather but we also want to people to stay safe.”

The station is asking people to keep a bucket of water or sand near their barbecue in case of an emergency, and to keep barbecues away from sheds, fences, trees or garden waste.

They also urged people to make sure their barbecue is cool before moving it and to keep children and pets away from it.

People with gas barbecues should keep the cylinders out of direct sunshine or frost and make sure the tap is turned off before changing it. The campaign is also reminding people to never keep cylinders under the staircase in case they explode and block the escape route.