Asda have been criticised for promoting the use of chip pans in the February edition of their monthly magazine.

As part of a promotion for national chip week (Feb 20-26) the supermarket giant placed an ad encouraging readers to buy its £12 chip pan.

The fire service pointed to figures showing nationally in 2010/11 cooking appliances were the biggest cause of accidental fire, with 19,663 fires caused.

Asda however, have apologised, and a spokesperson said: “We won’t promote chip pans in the future.”

This will be of some comfort to fire chiefs, but underlines the importance of continuing to remind the public that chip pan fires are dangerous.

A fire service spokesperson said: “It’s perhaps hard to believe in this day and age that people still use chip pans.

"They remain a real and present danger. You wouldn’t fill a container with flammable liquid and light a flame under it, yet using a chip pan poses the same kind of danger."

Asda may have apologised - but chip pans remain a recommended product on its website, with a recommendation from Asda chef Simon Shaw.

"If I'm cooking chips, it has to be a chip pan. It's how I get my chips golden brown and crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside,” he said.

A fire service spokesman replied: “Oven chips or thermostat controlled fryers are much safer, meaning there is no need whatsoever for people to continue putting their lives at risk.”