Rimrose Valley wildlife 'at risk' after nine fires

The latest fire is thought to be the area's ninth in a month

A Merseyside beauty spot has suffered nine fires in the last four weeks, with a community group warning that wildlife in the area is under threat.

The latest fire at Rimrose Valley Country Park in Sefton broke out on Wednesday, with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) called at 18:26 BST.

Crews found a large grass fire measuring about 100 sq m, and spent an hour extinguishing the flames and dampening down the area.

The cause has not yet been established but a Rimrose Valley Friends spokesman said: "Whilst we can't assume it's arson, it has happened in the past on Rimrose Valley."

Stu Bennett pointed out that there had also been "a very big blaze a number of weeks ago".

He added: "It's obviously a big concern from a wildlife perspective but also from local residents.

"If there is a positive, [MFRS] said the response from the public has been amazing, with dozens of calls reporting the fires, meaning that they are being tackled as quickly as possible.

"In the meantime, we encourage everyone to remain vigilant and if anyone suspects arson and has any info, contact Merseyside Police."

A spokesperson for MFRS said it was "seeing a large amount of grass fires at the moment [and] ask people to be mindful with things like BBQs, cigarettes, and glass bottles.

"A small spark can cause a lot of damage."