I write in reference to the reporting of Jim Durkin (Daily Echo, June 29) and the seriousness of fire risk on the West Cliff.

There has been a considerable amount of discussion recently about the issue of barbecues on the West Cliff Green and I give credit to the council’s large notices with emergency telephone contact numbers which have been displayed.

This may be due to Cllr Beesley, who has been very helpful with the situation and the local police.

I understand that there has been a suggestion that a paved barbecue area be designated on the cliff top in this area. My initial thinking was that this might be a good idea.

After Sunday evening’s fire I now believe the risk is that it will become well known as a place to have barbecues, and when it becomes over populated, people will simply move further along the cliff top and use non-designated areas.

The very significant fire on the cliff on Sunday evening is clear evidence that the risks of allowing any barbecue on the Westcliff Green is too great. We can only be grateful that the fire brigade were so effective since, for those of us who live close to the trees on the cliff our very lives could be at risk by an uncontrolled fire.

It must be the case that people must either barbecue in their own gardens or in safe designated places on the beach if a serious danger is to be avoided. The cliff top is dry and exposed to fire enhancing breezes and therefore not a suitable place for fires of any kind. As it is, the ecological damage from Sunday night will take years to recover and whilst the fire brigade deployed around 34 personnel and six appliances other, possibly domestic, fires could not receive that resource.

Chris Colledge, Durley Gardens, Bournemouth