Killjoy Whitehall officials planned to BAN Brits from having BBQs during heatwave

KILLJOY Whitehall officials planned to ban Brits from having BBQs during the heatwave.

A furious war broke out after ministers tried to sneak through a barmy plot last week.

It would have stopped hungry Brits throwing sausages and burgers on the barbie thanks to concerns over air quality concerns.

It comes as the Met Office has issued a “danger to life” warning - as the heatwave could top Britain’s hottest recorded temperature of 38.7C in Cambridge in 2019

The plans could have seen councils get given powers to slap bans on outdoor charcoal-burning BBQs and wood stoves in their areas to help tackle smog and smoke.

It was expected to come as part of updates to the New National Air Pollution Control Programme - set to be released next week.

Government insiders dubbed the proposals "absolutely mental" adding: "Are they mad?" Thankfully, commonsense officials stepped in to rip up the plans to rescue the great British barbie - and the nation's summer.

One insider told The Sun: "Boris has saved the great British banger."

And a Cabinet minister added: "It was a bonkers plan and rightly killed."

A Defra source insisted that the plans would not clamp down on Brits enjoying a treat in the sun this summer.

They said: "There is nothing in the NAPCP that could reasonably be perceived as a ban on burning or BBQs."

Ex-Environment Chief Michael Gove introduced new rules on wood burning stoves, to force Brits to use more eco-friendly models and types of coal - but stopped short of an outright ban.

Disposable BBQs are already banned in public places in Brighton and Hove and many national parks - thanks to fears they could spark huge fires during the hot weather.