Picnic tables at Kirkcaldy beach left burned by disposable BBQs

The call comes from Fife Coast and Countryside Trust (FCCT) which manages a number of sites across the Kingdom on behalf of Fife Council including Seafield beach.

The Trust’s head of operations said there has been an upsurge in damage to bins, picnic tables, grasslands and trees at many locations in Fife as a result of disposable barbecues including Seafield.

Local man, Walter Guthrie, regularly walks his dog at Seafield picnic area, near the beach, and said the recent damage to the picnic tables is the worst he has seen.

He said: “ was there on Thursday morning and there were several badly burned tables and benches – probably caused by thoughtless people who think it’s okay to put a BBQ on an unprotected surface.

“It’s quite ridiculous as most of the benches have bricks enclosed in metal frames specifically for people to use for BBQs. One of the large plastic bins has been melted probably by the disposal of a still hot BBQ.“It is quite sad as it’s a beautiful spot and a lot of effort has been made to make it family friendly. Maybe CCTV or notices on the benches about using disposable BBQs could be options for the future.”

Sally Walsh from Seafield Environmental Group said she was aware of the damage to the picnic tables which she has reported to Fife Coast and Countryside Trust.

She said: “This has been an issue for a few years now and it is assumed people think the table is made of wood.

"One picnic table was actually removed a few years ago because it was badly burned. It might take a while for it to be replaced. We don’t have CCTV in that area so we don’t know who did it, if it was intentional or if it was an accident.”

She said bins were also burned in the same area in early June and the nearby beach was littered with disposable barbecues.

Robbie Blyth, head of operations at Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, said the organisation was aware of the damage.

He said: “We cannot underestimate the need for far more responsible usage of disposable BBQ which are currently the scourge of the countryside.

"This year we have seen an upsurge in damage to bins, picnic tables, grasslands and trees at several locations in Fife including Seafield beach.

“Several years ago, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust undertook site improvements in the area with the use of funding made available from Fife Council. At the time we upcycled some of the benches and installed BBQ stations to prevent damage.

"Unfortunately, evidence strongly suggest that combustible material has been added to the BBQ station resulting in the damage."

He added: “We will endeavour to arrange repairs to the tables as soon as possible in addition to the replacement of the damaged bins”.

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