Firefighters have issued a warning to visitors to the Malvern Hills, in Worcestershire, after they were called to an unattended camp fire.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said they were alerted by a walker on Monday at about 11:45 BST.

The walker had noticed the fire burning unattended near the summit of Midsummer Hill.

Two fire engines and an off-road vehicle from Malvern attended and crews extinguished the fire.

Watch commander Saul Bolton said: "It took our crews nearly an hour to locate the incident, and they found a large deep-seated fire which had most probably been burning all night."

He added: "The fire had penetrated deep into the peaty soil found on the Malvern Hills and so firefighters had to dig down around a foot or so using shovels and pick axes to ensure the fire was completely extinguished and to prevent any further spread."

He urged everyone visiting the Malvern Hills to respect the "no camp fires" rule, to prevent other visitors, wildlife and vegetation coming to harm.

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