A FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy from Christchurch had his hands burned after he picked up a disposable barbecue which had been left at Mudeford Quay.

Kenzie-James Starks was left in “a lot of pain” when he tried to pick up the discarded barbecue and throw it away.

His mum is now calling on people to take care and make sure anyone who uses the equipment makes sure they have been cooled down before being left alone.

The family was returning from a day out and stopped at McDonalds on their way home and decided to eat it at Mudeford Quay.

Kenzie-James spotted the discarded disposable barbecue and went to try and throw it away without realising it was still hot.

A nearby caravan owner who saw what happened came to his aid with ice packs – limiting the harm the burn caused.

“He wanted to pick it up and throw it away,” his mum, Lauren Starks, said. “It’s something he always does – he likes to make sure rubbish is cleared away.

“But as soon as he touched it he pulled away in a lot of pain.

“Luckily, there was a lady with a caravan nearby so we could get ice packs on it straight away, otherwise it would have been much worse and he would have had to go to hospital.”

Lauren is now calling for people who use disposable barbecues to take more responsibility and make sure they do not discard hot equipment.

“It was still really hot,” she added. “It hadn’t been dowsed with water or anything and was just left there, anyone could have done what he did.

“Anyone who came along to clear the barbecue away could have ended up in the situation, it takes just a few seconds to deal with disposable barbecues properly.”

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service recommends using water to damp down barbecues and to make sure that they are completely cool before being thrown away.

Gary Foyle, community and recreation team leader at Christchurch and East Dorset councils, said: “Christchurch Borough Council kindly requests that if you come across a disposable barbecue on the beach you carefully check it is fully extinguished by putting water onto it, before safely disposing of it in one of the bins provided.”