Westoning: Field fire caused by cable-chewing squirrel

Crews were called to land off Toddington Road, Westoning, Bedfordshire, on Monday

A squirrel chewed through high voltage cables close to a pylon, sparking a field blaze, a fire service said.

Crews from Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to fields at Toddington Road, Westoning, near Luton, at 16:04 BST on Monday.

An area of stubble and hedgerows, covering 820ft (250m) by 492ft (150m), was affected.

Firefighters from Stopsley, Luton, Kempston, Woburn and Shefford brought it under control by 19:24.

Crews from across Bedfordshire attended the fire on Monday afternoon

The fire service said it was experiencing one of its busiest periods of the year so far.

A spokesman said between 8 and 15 August it was called to 134 fires on open land, compared to 20 in the same period in 2021.

Due to the ground being so dry, since the recent heatwave, it asked people to avoid barbecues, bonfires and "to act responsibly".

The fire took hold affecting a large area of stubble and hedgerows