London heatwave: More than 800 grass fires in six weeks

Around six hectares of wasteland, shrubs and school playing fields caught fire in Norbury last month

Firefighters in London have tackled more than 800 grass and open-land blazes since June.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) says the fires total 816 since the start of last month to 12 July.

Those blazes included grassland, canal and riverbank vegetation, scrubland, parks, playgrounds, crops and woodland.

The English capital is bracing for extreme heat weather conditions, leading LFB to urge people not to have barbecues on grass or on balconies.

A spokeswoman said: "We want people to enjoy the glorious weather and do so safely.

"Barbecuing on dry grass is reckless and can easily cause a really serious fire - damaging the immediate area and risking nearby properties.

"We're also urging people to think twice about having barbecues on balconies.

"It's easier than you might think for a balcony fire to spread to others, which could not only leave you homeless but displace hundreds of your neighbours too."

She added: "We're not trying to take the fun out of the heatwave, but for the sake of our city - and of our firefighters who have to work in sweltering temperatures to tackle these blazes - we'd really like people to take our advice on board."

In the last six weeks, LFB figures show 70 fires occurred in parks - believed to have been caused by barbecues.

Recent research by housing developer Barratt London has revealed only six parks in the capital allowed barbecues.

Barbecues are not allowed in any of London's royal parks which include St James', Greenwich, Bushey and Regent's.

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]