Fire crews in County Durham battle wildfires as temperatures peak to record highs

Emergency services in the North East have been battling a number of wildfires as the UK recorded its hottest ever temperatures.

Smoke could be seen billowing from a fire near Stanley in County Durham.

Four crews from across the county are fighting to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service say their control room is experiencing high call volumes, as crews deal with multiple grassfires and other incidents.

In a tweet the service has asked people to avoid the Coast to Coast route from Beamish to Stanley.

A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said: “Four crews from Consett, Spennymoor and Bishop Auckland, along with the water bowser are currently at the scene of a fire in woodland in the Beamish area of Stanley.

"An Incident Commander is currently in charge of the incident with firefighters working hard to bring the fire under control as quickly and safely as possible.”