Fire crews believe woodland blaze was 'deliberate'

The land was once part of a deer park owned owned by Henry VIII

A blaze which damaged two acres of woodland "may have been started deliberately", a fire service has said.

Crews from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) were called to Warren Hill, in Epping Forest, at 13:20 BST on Monday and fought the flames with beaters, backpack sprayers and hoses.

According to the City of London Corporation, the forest once formed part of a deer park owned by the Tudor king Henry VIII, who ruled England from 1509 - 1547.

Station manager Matt Bannon said: "Even though we managed to contain the spread of the fire, it's such a shame to see the amount of damage that has been caused."

He added: "We'd like to remind people in the last few days of summer holidays and hot weather to please take care when using our parks and open spaces.

"Please avoid bonfires, campfires, and disposable BBQs while the ground is so dry.

"Always stub out cigarettes fully and take your litter home, small actions can prevent big incidents and stop our lovely countryside being destroyed."

In a report of the incident on its website, ECFRS said: "Our firefighters believe this fire may have been started deliberately."

ECFRS has urged anyone with information to contact FireStoppers, which can be done anonymously.

Crews who attended were from Epping, Loughton, Chingford and Woodford.