THIS is what can happen when people fail to extinguish a barbecue before putting it in the bin.

A Borough of Poole refuse truck had to be emptied onto the road at the weekend after a barbecue started a fire.

And now the council is urging visitors to its Blue Flag beaches to dispose of their rubbish responsibly and ensure barbecues are cold and no hot ash is put into plastic bins.

During the hottest weeks of the year so far, thousands of visitors flocked to Poole’s beaches to enjoy the sun, sea and sand.

However they created a lot of rubbish for Poole’s waste teams and the council is encouraging people to ensure they dispose of their waste in the seafront bins. And if a bin is full, keep hold of it until you find an alternative bin or take it home and dispose of it responsibly.

Cllr Xena Dion, cabinet portfolio holder for the environment, Borough of Poole, said: "Our beaches are fantastic and everyone in Poole is very proud of them.

“When the sun is shining there is no place better to be than with friends and family, but it is really important that everyone does their bit to keep our beaches clean and help maintain the Blue Flag status we all work so hard to achieve.

“I would ask people to please throw all rubbish in the bins at the end of the day rather than just walk away and leave it on the sand. Aside from the fact that litter is an eyesore on our beaches and unpleasant for other people, if left, it gets swept out to sea creating hazards for our very important sealife.”

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service have tweeted several times about fires caused by BBQ coals, including at Boscombe Pier last night.