FIREFIGHTERS are wasting valuable time putting out dozens of out-of-control bonfires and barbecues.

Within just an hour and a half of starting their Saturday evening shift, crews across Dorset and Wiltshire extinguished 46 fires caused by unattended barbecues and bonfires.

By the end of the shift at around 6am on Sunday, they had been called to 52 bonfire and barbecue fires - and 11 more calls which were false alarms.

A spokesman for the service urged people to stop setting bonfires and barbecues: "We'd like to say good evening, however with the number of calls to BBQ's and bonfires we have attended in the first 1.5 hours of [Saturday]'s shift, it's not good.

"We are wasting valuable resources and money attending unnecessary calls regarding irresponsible disposal of BBQs and out of control bonfires.

"And this also puts the lives of our firefighters at risk responding.

"Don't know how we can make it clearer. Stop the BBQ's and bonfires."