Fire service fight mountainside blaze at Bryansford

Four fire engines have been called to the scene of a gorse fire in County Down.

The blaze broke out on a mountainside near Bryansford, according to the Northern Ireland Fire Service.

It said it attended more than 100 gorse fires on Tuesday.

The worst blaze was in Glenshane Forest in County Londonderry where approximately four sq km of gorse was alight.

Sixty firefighters from 11 stations put out the blaze, which is believed to have been started deliberately.

A Fire Service spokesperson said it was hampered by treacherous conditions underfoot and limited water supplies.

The Fire Service has released statistics which it says show how the number of gorse fires has risen recently as the weather has improved.

It has repeatedly appealed to people not to deliberately set gorse fires, warning that it ties up resources and puts lives at risk.