Firefighters tackle wildfire on heathland

Firefighters managed to control the blaze on Upton Heath using beaters

More than 20 firefighters have responded to a wildfire that broke out on Dorset heathland.

Crews from Ferndown, Westbourne and Poole were called to Upton Heath on Saturday at about 19:40 GMT.

The fire was extinguished by 21:56 GMT, with firefighters using industrial-grade rubber beaters to smother the flames.

A spokesperson for the fire service said it had "extreme difficulty accessing the fire front due to the very uneven and marshy ground".

An area of the heath measuring approximately 150m by 20m was alight.

Three 4x4 vehicles attended the scene from Wimborne and Ferndown, with two off road fire engines from Christchurch and Swanage, as well as a water carrier from Eastleigh fire station.

The cause has not been identified, but the officer in charge said it may have been started deliberately.