Bawsey fire: Two Lincolnshire men charged with arson after barbecue 'thrown into woods' in Norfolk

Two men have been charged with arson over a fire thought to have been started by a barbecue at a country park on Sunday.

Aleksejs Sokolovs, 45, of Valentine Close, Boston and Darius Lazausaks, also 45 and of Carlton Road, Boston, were arrested at Bawsey Country Park in Norfolk by an off-duty police officer.

They have both been charged with arson with intent to damage property.

The emergency services were called at about 11.40am after a disposable barbecue was allegedly thrown into woodland, said Norfolk Police.

It caused a small fire that was quickly put out by members of the public.

The two men were held at the scene by the off-duty police office and then taken to King’s Lynn police investigation centre for questioning, before being charged.

Both men were released on conditional bail and are due to appear before King’s Lynn Magistrates court on Thursday, 15 September.

Supt Nathan Clark said: "Fortunately, the fire was quickly extinguished, and I’d like to thank those members of the public for their help.

"As we’ve seen recently, the impact of extreme heat and fires can be devastating."

Conditions in the region remain exceptionally dry with drought status declared for East Anglia last week.

Because of the lack of rain and dry conditions some supermarkets have made the decision to stop selling disposable barbecues.

Tony White, head of prevention at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We all need to stay vigilant and keep safe in this heat, by never discarding cigarette ends carelessly, leaving bottles or glass behind in the open and by not using barbecues in fields, open grassland, parks and forests.

"Only ever ignite a barbecue when it's safely on solid, non-flammable surfaces such as the patio," he added.

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