RECKLESS litter dumpers nearly started another dangerous blaze Wednesday night - by deliberately setting fire to rubbish they dumped in Black Park Road.

Fortunately firefighters received a call from a passing driver and were able to put the fire out in half an hour - although three pumps were needed at the scene.

A spokesman said: "The litter had been dumped and set fire to. The fire had already started to spread to nearby trees and could have become a major incident if it had not been spotted in time.

"It was an extraordinarily reckless and dangerous act."

It happened while firefighters were still battling a blaze in a hay barn at Stroud Farm Road, Holyport - which took two days to finally extinguish and involved teams from eight fire stations.

Fire crews are keen to get the message home to people that the risk from the dry, hot weather is just as serious now as it was before the thunderstorms of the last few days.

They have continued to receive call outs to bonfires after some people mistakenly decided that recent rain had removed the risk of tinder dry grass and structures catching fire.

The rain had little effect as it was absorbed into the ground almost immediately and the continuing heat has ensured that the risk is as high as ever.