Blaze warning for woodland visitors

With little rainfall over recent weeks, many of the county's beauty spots are tinder dry and extra vigilance will help protect trees and wildlife alike, officials say.

As well as posing a threat to the eco-system a carelessly discarded match could also start a blaze which would be devastating to wildlife.

Although forest fires are associated with high summer, the most vulnerable time is in fact the spring when rotted vegetation has dried out and litters the ground.

Paul Cody, District Forester, said: "We want everyone to have an enjoyable time visiting our forests, but we take extremely seriously the threat posed by fire.

"The weather has been great for exploring, but it's important to remember that even a carelessly discarded cigarette or match can spark a fire. The fire risk at the moment is very high."

The Forestry Commission manages 56,000 acres of land in North Yorkshire, including Dalby Forest, near Pickering, Wykeham Forest, near Scarborough, Sneaton Forest, near Whitby, Bishopwood, near Selby, and Kilburn Wood, near Thirsk.