Dozens of firefighters have tackled a blaze which threatened to engulf the A2 this afternoon.

Emergency services were forced to decide whether to close the A2 to rush-hour traffic as thick plumes of smoke wafted from a nearby field fire.

In the end, the arterial road was left open after around 50 firefighers were sent to the scene at Shellbank Lane, Bean, just after 3pm today.

No nearby homes were affected. Ten appliances from Fire and Rescue bases across the county and London were drafted in to help contain the fire on farmland.

A police helicopter was also deployed to relay a bird's-eye account to ground crews dealing with the incident.