Firefighters were called to a series of small fires in the open over the weekend as people took advantage of the sunshine to set up their barbecues and light bonfires.

Stevenage crews were called to a shed and fence on fire at a house in Manchester Close in Stevenage at 3.30am yesterday morning. They used hoses to put out the blaze.

A heap of hay and 20 tons of manure caught fire in Milksey Lane in Graveley at 5pm yesterady. Firefighters had to use one jet and two hoses to dampen the blaze and re-inspected it later in the day.

Also at 1pm crews were called to deal with a bonfire in the woods at Fairlands Valley Park and at 5.51pm they dealt with a bonfire in a garden at Chiltern view in Letchworth.