Latitude Festival in Suffolk bans barbecues and campfires over heatwave wildfire fears

Organisers of this year's Latitude festival have slapped a ban on all campfires and BBQs following this week's heatwave, which sparked dozens of fires across the county.

Temperatures hit highs never seen before in the UK and prompted Suffolk Fire and rescue Service to declare a major incident, with 38 wildfires reported on Tuesday alone.

There has been no significant rainfall since at Henham Park near Southwold, where the festival is being held, which prompted organisers to act to ban the open fires.

Up to 40,000 people are expected at the festival this weekend.

In a tweet they said: "Please note, campfires and BBQs will NOT be permitted in the campsites this year due to the extreme temperatures.

"Apologies for any inconvenience caused."

The four-day festival first started in 2006 and attracts tens of thousands of people each year, many of them camping on fields surrounding the venue.

The ban comes in the week fire crews from as far away as Liverpool and Newcastle were called to East Anglia to help tackle a surge in wildfires at temperatures peaked at nearly 40C.

Six fire engines were needed to tackle a blaze in Thetford forest, while 11 homes were destroyed in one fire alone at Ashill in Norfolk.

Wild Ken Hill, the nature reserve and working farm where the seasonal wildlife programme Springwatch has been based since last year, was also ravaged by fire.

Suffolk Fire Service has asked everyone to avoid bonfires and barbecues at the moment.

The service said: "The ground is incredibly dry and the fire will spread fast, putting yourself in danger."

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