Anger as vandals light fire in Weymouth woodland

Flammable materials had been dumped at the Two-Mile Coppice in Radipole, Weymouth near to foliage and subsequently set alight.

Burnt materials in the woodland (Image: NQ)

A large cardboard box had been torn apart alongside other flammable materials which all appeared to be set alight alongside an aerosol can and around five lighters.

A cardboard box dumped in the woodland (Image: NQ)

One walker said: “As I was walking through the woods, I could smell burning. I came across a large box which had cardboard pieces torn off of it and had been set fire to. Other flammable material was also noticeably singed on the floor – all near to the vegetation and plants which is really upsetting to see.

“I also noticed about five lighters just discarded on the floor as well as what appeared to be an exploded aerosol can. Why would anyone want to do this.”

'Exploded aerosol can' (Image: NQ)

The land is owned by Woodland Trust which is aware of the incident and is now urging people to help them ‘protect these irreplaceable green spaces.’

A spokesperson for Woodland Trust said: “We are aware of the vandalism at Two Miles Coppice which is sad to see. The wood is an important nature reserve for wildlife and has some stunning examples of ancient hedge banks and ancient coppiced woodland.

“We are asking the public and volunteers to be vigilant and to flag up any such behaviour to help us protect these irreplaceable green spaces.’

Two-Mile Coppice (Image: NQ)

Dorset and Weymouth Town Councillor Louie O’Leary of the Litlemoor and Preston ward has branded the actions ‘disgraceful.’

He said: “This is disgraceful. I did plan to go and have a look to see what can be done in the future to stop it happening again.

“It does happen on a semi-prevalent basis. We will see what we can do about this with the agencies responsible.”

Burnt materials in the woodland (Image: NQ)

Fortunately, the fire did not appear to cause any lasting damage to the woodland.

Group Manager at Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, Graham Kewley said: “Fly-tipping is an anti-social crime, which endangers the environment and can lead to arson attacks.

Some of the lighters (Image: NQ)

“Small fires can escalate quickly and become potentially life-threatening, so it’s vital that fly-tipping is reported to the relevant local council as soon as possible.

“Arson or deliberate fires involving fly tipped or commercial waste should be reported to the local authority Environmental Health team, the police or via Crimestoppers.”

The Two-Mile Coppice (Image: NQ)