‘Bonkers’ new ‘ban’ prohibits candlelit dinners in vacation vacation houses | UK | News | EUROtoday

A ban on company in vacation leases having dinners by candlelight or stress-free in a shower with tea lights has been blasted as “absolutely bonkers”.

Official Home Office steerage says folks in self-catering lodging shouldn’t be supplied with candles or tea lights and “there should be a policy in place prohibiting their use”.

The doc has sparked outrage, with critics saying adults needs to be trusted to get pleasure from a “romantic getaway without burning down the house”.

The steerage covers lodging together with small mattress and breakfasts, homes, cottages and chalets the place a most of 10 folks can sleep in addition to particular person flats. The doc says its rules will also be utilized to “holiday caravans, camping and glamping pods, bothies, lodges, shepherds’ huts, tents, tree houses and yurts”.

It states: “Candles and tea lights are a common cause of fires and, sometimes, fatalities. You should not provide candles, tea lights or ethanol burners for use by guests, and there should be a policy in place prohibiting their use.”

Senior Conservative MP Sir Mike Penning described the steerage as “absolutely bonkers”.

He mentioned: “As a former firefighter and fire minister I can’t understand how a civil servant is lecturing me about a candlelit dinner with my wife. It’s pathetic – just get out of my life and let people use their common sense.”

The steerage additionally advises property homeowners to “consider the risk of arson,” including: “Good physical security and vigilance is important.”

Matthew Lesh of the Institute of Economic Affairs mentioned: “A bed and breakfast operator should be entitled to decide whether their guests can use candles and tea lights. Adults can generally be trusted to have a romantic getaway without burning down the house.

“This is the latest in a long list of silly state regulations and guidance that do little more than make life miserable.”

However, fires began by candles are a trigger of significant concern. Last Halloween, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service inspired folks to swap candles for battery-powered choices, warning: “It’s easy to think that tea lights in the bathroom can be harmless but they can get very hot.”

And Essex County Fire and Rescue Service warns that youngsters ought to by no means be left alone with candles. It advises: “Never leave candles burning unattended – put them out when you leave the room and make sure they’re completely out at night.”