A ban on guests in holiday rentals having dinners by candlelight or relaxing in a bath with tea lights has been blasted as “absolutely bonkers”.
Official Home Office guidance says people in self-catering accommodation should not be provided with candles or tea lights and “there should be a policy in place prohibiting their use”.
The document has sparked outrage, with critics saying adults should be trusted to enjoy a “romantic getaway without burning down the house”.
The guidance covers accommodation including small bed and breakfasts, houses, cottages and chalets where a maximum of 10 people can sleep as well as individual flats. The document says its principles can also be applied 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 guidance as “absolutely bonkers”.
He said: “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 guidance also advises property owners to “consider the risk of arson,” adding: “Good physical security and vigilance is important.”
Matthew Lesh of the Institute of Economic Affairs said: “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 started by candles are a cause of serious concern. Last Halloween, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service encouraged people to swap candles for battery-powered options, 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 children should never 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.”
