Fire crews in ‘Ban the Pan’ campaign

FIREFIGHTERS across Oldham have launched a tour of local supermarkets during National Chip Week to urge people to “Ban the Pan”.

They will be asking people to swap them for safer oven chips or deep fat fryers and will take Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s Kitchen Fire Safety Unit on a tour of local Asda stores to show how dangerous a chip-pan fire can be.

The week runs until Friday and comes only days after pensioners aged 77 and 95 were treated for smoke inhalation after a chip-pan fire at their house in Moorhey.

Councillor David Acton, chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “Chip pans are incredibly dangerous.”

Tomorrow the KFSU will be at Chadderton Asda, before moving to Hollins Asda on Friday and Shaw Asda on Monday with demonstrations at 11am and 2pm.

Community safety adviser Carey Bohannon said: “The KFSU will show people just how huge the flames from a chip-pan fire can be — so hopefully we’ll convince local shoppers to ditch them.”