Residents are urged not to have bonfires during the coronavirus lockdown after the fire service received more than 20 calls in four hours.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is asking residents not to put a drain on resources or put the firefighters and themselves in danger by having a bonfire.

The service received 21 calls for fires in the open in four hours on Saturday.

A spokesman for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Nearly all of these have been bonfires that people are having that are not essential. This is wasting valuable resources that may be needed to save lives."

Crews from Bridport Fire Station responded to two fires in the open on Saturday. The first was at Allington Hill just before 6pm and the second was a bonfire at a private property at 8:38pm.

A spokesman for Bridport Fire Station said: "One appliance from Bridport was mobilised for the second time to a fire in the open. This fire was a small bonfire on a private property. The owner was present and had safety measures in place in the form of a garden hose. Advice was given.

"It would be really helpful if people could avoid having bonfires during this coronavirus lockdown period. While we know that the current weather makes getting out in the garden very tempting, lots of the false alarms we attend are caused by bonfires. Equally, bonfires can get out of control very easily.

"Please help us to help you, by reducing any activity that could lead to us being called out.

"The fire and rescue service is regularly called to fires which members of the public believe to be emergencies but, on attendance, are found to be bonfires or land clearance. Such calls cause a drain on our resources and put both the public and firefighters at risk when we respond under ‘blue light’ conditions.

" If you are going to have a bonfire, or another type of controlled burning that will be visible to passers-by, you can let our fire control know by completing an online notification. Control will want to know the exact location of your fire, the times you are planning on letting the fire burn, and a contact number for you, or whoever will be responsible for the site. This will help us to avoid mobilising crews to you unnecessarily.

Please let us know if you are planning: a sizeable bonfire in your garden or on other land, any sort of fire on farmland, stubble burning. To contact us - https://www.dwfire.org.uk/contact-us/?formid=12#linked

"In an emergency always dial 999."