Lighting fires, barbecues, fireworks and Chinese lanterns has been banned to help prevent wildfires at high-risk locations in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has approved the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) covering land owned by the Council and all parts of the District that lie within the boundary of the Peak District National Park that are open to the air and to which the public have access.

Councillor Mike Bowen, Cabinet member for Communities, said: "This Order is coming into force at a good time as Covid restrictions start to ease and we can expect more people to visit the Moorlands. We've already seen firefighters called out to blazes in Derbyshire and other neighbouring areas in recent weeks and we want to avoid similar incidents in our District.

"The majority of fires are caused by careless, thoughtless behaviour and are, therefore, preventable.

"We hope that as well as stopping fires, this Order will help to raise awareness of the dangers so that people who visit these locations to enjoy the landscapes think twice about their actions and how to play their part in protecting our natural environment."

The Order is in place for a period of three years.

The Peak District National Park Authority suggests that accidental summer fires are the biggest single threat to the fragile eco-system of the moors. Since 1976 there have been over 350 reported incidents of wildfires in the area with the majority started by arson, discarded cigarettes, barbecues and campfires.

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