Ancient woodland fire 'caused by books set alight'

A wildfire in an ancient woodland is believed to have caused by books being deliberately set alight, the fire service has said.

Emergency services were called to Abbot's Wood, near Polegate, East Sussex, at about 15:10 BST on 20 July.

An area measuring 1,968ft (600m) by 656ft (200m) of gorse and trees was damaged, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) said.

Following its investigation, the incident highlighted how fires could have "serious and often unintended consequences", a spokesperson said.

The fire service has recommended that parents have conversations with young people about the serious risks fire could pose.

"We work closely with families and professionals to ensure each young person receives the most appropriate support," they said.

At the height of the incident, eight fire appliances were at the scene tackling the blaze.

The fire service previously said it was "grateful" to local farmers who helped crews in controlling the fire by damping down fire breaks and low vegetation.

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