Firefighters tackle grass fire on Mitcham Common

Firefighters have been tackling a grass fire in an area the size of about four football pitches in south London.

Crews were called to the blaze in Mitcham Common just before 12:30 BST. The fire is now under control, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

LFB said its crews are dealing with 21 grass fires a day across London, compared to five a day last year.

Since May there have been 1,010 grass fires, almost double the total in 2012.

LFB's head of operations for prevention and response, Dave Brown, said: "A small spark from a cigarette is often all it takes to start a grass fire in these dry conditions.

"If you see a grass fire, don't attempt to put it out yourself as grass fires can be fast moving and change direction without warning. Call the fire brigade and let us know where the fire is."