A hectare of grass and bracken was burned down in a fire in Bushy Park.

Two fire engines were sent from Twickenham to deal with the blaze, which damaged one hectare of grass and bracken near Bushy House in Teddington this afternoon.

London Fire Brigade was called at about 12.50pm, and firefighters left the scene after the blaze was put out at 1.30pm.

Green Watch manager at Twickenham fire station Guy Pedliham said: “Everything is very dry at the moment so the fire caught quickly and crews worked fast to prevent it spreading any further.

“Grass fires can cause a great deal of damage to open spaces and wildlife but the public can help us by making sure that cigarettes and barbecues are extinguished properly, and that glass bottles are disposed of carefully.

"It's also important that if you do notice a fire on open grassland that you don't attempt to put it out yourself as they can travel very quickly and change direction without warning.

“Call the fire brigade and let us know where the fire is so we can get our crews on the scene as soon as possible to stop it from spreading.”

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