FIREFIGHTERS were called after a fire sparked at a West Dorset barn containing 100 tonnes of hay.

Crews from Bridport and Charmouth attended to the scene at a farm in Marshwood, near Charmouth, in the early hours of this morning, Friday July 11.

The farmer helped crews by using a tractor to help remove some of the hay bales from the barn.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service were alerted at around 5am.

A service spokesperson said: "The cause of the fire was believed to be spontaneous combustion - hay can get damp and quite hot in the process when it is compacted together.

"A total of 100 hay bales were damaged and four fire engines attended the incident."