Communal barbecues could be built along two Kent seafronts as plans to ban beachgoers from using disposable grills move a step closer.

Canterbury City Council looks set to hand its enforcement officers the power to slap anyone caught using the single-use cooking equipment on the coast at Herne Bay or Whitstable with £100 fines.

Ahead of the ban, senior Conservative Andrew Cook is calling for permanent barbecue stations to be installed so visitors can still enjoy a burger on the beach.

He was speaking at a meeting of the authority's cabinet about proposals to outlaw disposable cooking trays on the district's seafronts.

He told colleagues his beach hut was one of four burned down 13 years ago during a fire caused by a single-use grill.

And the Herne Bay councillor believes their continued use on the coast places revellers at risk of “getting seriously hurt”.

“I am one of four people who lost their beach hut in a fire because someone put a takeaway barbecue against one of the doors of another hut,” the councillor said.

“Between seeing my beach hut go up in flames and then having a child in Hampton be taken to A&E because they burned their foot on a discarded disposable barbecue, I think they need to be banned.

“We’ll work on the council to put some nice [permanent] barbecue areas along the beach.

“We’ll teach them to use the proper barbecues.”

Cllr Cook's proposal for barbecuing stations was supported by Conservative leader Ben Fitter-Harding, who noted similar projects are “very popular” in other parts of the country.

The authority's chief confirmed a report examining the idea will be presented next year.

Cllr Cook commented: “With these permanent barbecue spaces, there is definitely support in the council to build them.

“One person comes, puts coals in, cooks their food and leaves then another comes along and puts a few more coals in and the process repeats itself.

“We want people to come to the beach, but we have to make sure people can have fun without getting seriously hurt.”

The proposed disposable barbecue ban will span from Seasalter to Reculver, and consist of all publicly-owned beaches, promenades and green spaces along with the sea wall.

During a consultation on the changes, 621 people opposed the plan, while 545 supported the move.

Cllr Ashley Clark, who heads the council’s enforcement and open spaces team, says the ban is needed following “a number of incidents last year”.

“People have been injured and burnt by them, and this is a national issue,” he explained.

“They’ve banned them in other places, such as Brighton, so we’re not doing anything that other councils haven’t done.”

The clampdown is part of the council’s planned seaside public space protection order (PSPO).

If given the green light, it will also outlaw anyone from being in possession of a catapult on the coast, as well as the act of jumping off Whitstable Harbour and Herne Bay Pier.

However, plans to also fine anyone with glass bottles on the coast as part of the PSPO have been ditched.

Cabinet voted to send the order to full council on January 5.

If it is approved, the bans will come into effect by March 31.