Two boys arrested after nature reserve fire

The large fire was started at Easington Colliery Local Nature Reserve

Two boys have been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire at a nature reserve.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) received multiple calls at about 19:10 BST on Friday about a "large fire" at Easington Colliery Local Nature Reserve.

Crews from two engines spent six hours tackling the blaze involving gorse bushes which were well alight, a fire service spokesperson said.

Durham Police said no one was injured in the fire and the two boys had been released on bail while inquiries continued.

The fire service said it had also been called out to a high number of deliberately set fires in Darlington this month.

Crews tackled nine deliberate fire in the town's Eastbourne ward, six of which had take place at Maidendale Nature Reserve.

No deliberately set fires were recorded in the area in April last year it said.

The fire service has been called to six deliberate fires at Maidendale Nature Reserve during April

"When our firefighters are attending preventable fires like this, it delays our ability to respond to critical emergencies such as house fires and road traffic accidents," a spokesperson for the service said.

"We would like to stress that arson is a crime and encourage families to speak to their children around the dangers of deliberate fire setting."