As scorching temperatures are set to continue into the weekend, tributes have been paid to Suffolk's fire service.

The hot weather has led to exceptional pressure on Suffolk's fire service to deal with a rising number of field fires, with firefighters tackling the blazes for hours at a time.

Suffolk's part-time firefighters have also been put under pressure as people can be "at incidents for 12, 14, 16 hours over an evening or day and night, and then going to work the next day".

Chief Fire Officer for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, Jon Lacey said: “Suffolk is a rural county and, as you’d expect, we have seen more wildfires during the recent drier conditions, which is likely to continue as temperatures get warmer over the weekend and into next week.

“Our forward planning enables us to respond efficiently and effectively to any increase in incidents, but we would like everyone to play their part by avoiding barbecues and campfires on dry grass or near hedges, putting out cigarettes properly before disposing of them, and calling 999 immediately at any sign of a fire in the open.

“Although we have been exceptionally busy lately, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service remains committed to protecting our county’s communities and I would like to thank all staff for their tireless work, as well as the employers of our on-call firefighters who greatly help our efforts by releasing their employees during peak periods of demand.”

Mr Lacey also urged people to enjoy the sun safely and be wary of the dangers of open-water swimming to cool down.

Phil Johnston, chairman of the Fire Brigade Union Suffolk, also paid tribute to the county's part-time firefighters.

He said: “Because we have a small number of full-time stations, for multiple-appliance jobs we are reliant on the availability of the part-time service.

“The on-call service is a huge commitment to people in the community, they’re available as much as they can be when they’re not at their normal place of work, and some of them even when they are.

“They’re going from job to job, they don’t want to make themselves unavailable for rest but some of them have been at incidents 12, 14, 16 hours over an evening or day and night, and then going to work the next day.

“That is a current concern for the FBU, the workload that firefighters have been under without adequate rest and welfare."