Firefighters have warned people about starting fires in woodland after a spike in callouts this week.

A crew from New Addington Fire Station were called to Shirley Hills at 7.30pm last night after a dog walker spotted an old tree on fire, which took an hour to put out.

The crew had a similar call on Sunday when they had to put out an undergrowth fire which covered an area of three square metres.

Crew manager Steve Mewett said the fires could possibly be deliberate but could also be caused by cigarettes and glass bottles being thrown onto the ground.

He said: “We don’t know if these things are deliberate or accidental but it is something to keep an eye on.

"We always get more of these types of call outs around this time of year.

“I would just tell people to be a bit more cautious with what they are putting on the ground, especially in this hot weather."