South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue have said more than 80 per cent of fires they dealt with overnight on Wednesday were started deliberately.

The service said it dealt with six incidents in the county between 7pm on Wednesday and 3am on Thursday, of which they believe only one was not arson.

The incidents included a scrubland fire on Field Gate, Rossington, in Doncaster, at about 8.30pm. Upon arrival, the fire crew found a large area of scrub alight and a group of young people were seen running away from the area, which has previously been targeted by arsonists.

Elsewhere, a mattress was set on fire in the street in Wingfield, Rotherham, while fire crews also dealt with fly-tipped rubbish being set alight as well as a batch of felled trees.

They also had to deal with a brazier full of burning rubbish, which had been left unattended during the early hours of Thursday.