People urged to be careful with cigarettes and disposable barbecues near Harborough's 'tinderbox' countryside

People are being urged not to throw away lit cigarettes and disposable barbecues into the “tinderbox” Harborough countryside amid a mini-wave of field fires.

The urgent call is being made by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) after the blistering heatwave has scorched Harborough district.

Temperatures soared towards 100F (38C) in Leicestershire yesterday as the thermometer hit a record-breaking 104.5F (40.3C) in Coningsby, Lincolnshire.

“The heatwave has turned the county’s rural areas into a tinderbox just as farmers start harvesting and there are major concerns about how easily fires can start.

“The warning follows a number of reported field fires in recent days which have seen hundreds of acres of harvest-ready crops going up in smoke,” said the NFU.

NFU Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & Rutland chairman Joe Stanley said: “At the most crucial time of year for the county’s arable farmers, and in these extremely hot and dry conditions, we are urging people to ensure their cigarettes and disposable barbecues are extinguished entirely before discarding.

“It is bone dry out there and all it takes is a lit cigarette flicked out of a car window to start a catastrophic fire that can decimate an entire crop - your food - and wildlife habitats,” warned Mr Stanley.

“Our farmers are working hard to produce the food we all eat.

“Help us to do it by taking that extra step to ensure you’re disposing your rubbish safely.”

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident yesterday (Tuesday) amid huge demand.

Fire chiefs warned they would not attend Automatic Fire alarms as they appealed to people to only call 999 if it was an emergency.