Fire on sand dunes under control

The fire affected grassland on the dunes

Fire crews in Merseyside have been tackling a blaze on grassland in the sand dunes at Ainsdale beach.

About 70 firefighters were called to the area around Chiltern Road just after midday on Tuesday.

The fire started near the grounds of Ainsdale High School before spreading into the dunes.

A spokesman for the fire service said there had been no damage to property after crews put up barriers to protect nearby homes and Hillside golf course.

The fire was been brought under control late in the afternoon and crews scaled down their operations.

Road closures which had been in place have been lifted.

A fire service spokeswoman said: "The wind and extremely hot, dry conditions were perfect for this fire to spread.

"We are asking people to be extremely careful in this hot spell, particularly with regard to discarding cigarettes."