Firefighters tackle fire on Coast to Coast route near Stanley

Firefighters have urged members of the public to avoid the Coast to Coast route as they tackle a fire in County Durham

County Durham and Darlington Fire Rescue (CDDFRS) have had a number of appliances at the scene near East Stanley.

The fire is believed to have been ignited due to the extreme hot temperatures.

A spokesperson for the CDDFRS said: "We were alerted at 2.30pm to reports of a fire between Stanley and Beamish.

"The fire involves about 3,000 square metres of grass, gorse and trees. We have sent five appliances to the scene. They are still dealing with the fire."