A FIRE commander has called on people not to have fires of any kind whilst a wildfire warning remains in place.

Andy Weeks, station commander in the New Forest, told BBC Radio Solent's breakfast programme that the service is seeing a rise in the number of wildfires and fires in the open of late.

This includes a massive fire in Wareham Forest, Dorset, that crews across Hampshire were scrambled to.

As previously reported, an amber wildfire warning has been issued across much of England until early June, after one of the driest Spring's on record.

The Met Office say that there is a "very high fire severity" with warm temperatures, long hours of sunshine and dry winds set to continue.

Now, Mr Weeks has urged on people not to light fires and to act "responsibly" when using open spaces in the next couple of weeks.

"If you are going to be out and about, and why not, just enjoy the areas responsibly," he told the Radio Solent breakfast programme.

"Park responsibly, don't block areas that we might use to get into the national parks.

"Don't have any barbecues or camp fires of any kind.

"Take any rubbish home with you and if you do see any fires, get yourself to a location of safety and call 999 and give us some good directions on how to get there.

"We are seeing a rise in the number of wildfires and fires in the open that we are attending.

"At the moment we have had a very dry Spring so everything is ready to go really and coupled with the winds that we are experiencing."