PEOPLE with allotments have been urged to clear away anything which might be a fire risk or other safety hazard.

Hartlepool Borough Council has made the appeal as part of an ongoing safety campaign across all of its allotments following a serious incident at the Thornhill site earlier this year, when a fire led to a gas cylinder exploding and landing on a nearby house.

Letters have been sent to the allotment holders in the Thornhill, Throston and Chester Road areas inviting them to take part in the clear-up on Friday, between 9am and 4pm.

There will be an amnesty on gas cylinders and other flammable materials, and there will be facilities for the collection and disposal of Calor gas cylinders and skips for inflammable rubbish.

Council allotments staff will be on hand to help and give advice.

James Gilchrist, the council's parks and countryside manager, said: "The aerial inspection of the allotments, which we carried out last month with the fire brigade using a hydraulic platform, identified some areas of concern.

"The majority of our allotment holders are very good tenants and we are sure they will want to make the most of Friday's event to remove any material which may pose a fire or other safety risk.

"Allotment tenants are legally responsible for the contents of their plot.

"If there is a fire due to materials not being stored safely, the tenant can be held legally responsible, regardless of whether the fire was arson or not."