Bonfire burnt down ahead of fundraising event

A bonfire which took weeks to get ready for a village's fundraising event has been burned down early by suspected arsonists.

Ripley Bonfire, which normally attracts more than 10,000 visitors to the event in the village of Ripley in Surrey, seemed under threat after the bonfire, which had been made ready for Saturday was torched overnight.

But event organiser Joe Ayears from the Ripley Bonfire Society said "everybody has clubbed together" to ensure the fundraising event would go ahead as planned.

Surrey Police said it received a report of arson near the bonfire site in High Street at about 01:20 BST on Tuesday morning.