Firefighters remain at Hankley Common following large wildfire

People are still being urged to stay away from Hankley Common this morning (25 July) following a devastating wildfire on Sunday (24 July).

At least eight hectares of land were affected by the fire at the beauty spot, which has previously been used to film part of the James Bond blockbuster Skyfall.

Images and footage from the scene of the fire showed flames and large plumes of white/grey smoke billowing across the common.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was called just after midday on Sunday and said it expected crews to remain at the scene until at least Monday.

A major incident was declared but stood down at around 6.40pm.

Despite the downgrading, people were asked to avoid the area as the wildfire continued to burn.

The cause of the blaze is unknown, the fire service said, but it pleaded with people to "help us to prevent wildfires" by taking simple steps.

In a tweet, SFRS said: "Speak to young relatives about safety outdoors, pack a picnic instead of a BBQ, dispose of cigarettes and litter correctly."

Some local roads were closed as smoke was carried across a large area of the county.