FIRE crews have now brought under control a straw fire on a farm at St Margaret’s near Dover which began last night.

The blaze started in a field off Collingwood Road just before 5pm yesterday. At its height, around 50 round bales of straw were on fire.

Crews from Dover Fire Station and St Margaret’s were on the scene all night to make sure the blaze didn't get out of control.

Watch manager Tony Northcott, from Dover Fire Station, said: "Straw and hay fires are very difficult to put out and the only way we can tackle them is to leave them to burn, with crews making sure it does not get out of hand.

"If we put water on the fire, you would end up with a hay bale that would be soggy on the outside, but the fire would still be going on the inside."

Mr Northcott said it is not yet known how the fire started. He added: "Again we must warn people to be careful in the countryside.

"If a cigarette is discarded carelessly, a fire can easily take hold, with the dry spell we have been having.

"A fire such as this often causes a huge financial headache for the farmer concerned. This farmer tried to save some of his bales, but around 40 have already been lost."