A fire swept through 15 hectares of the Ashdown Forest after being accidentally sparked by Armed Forces at a training camp.

Dozens of firefighters were called to fight the blaze as it threatened to spread further through the woodland near Forest Row.

The fire broke out near the Ministry of Defence's Pippingford Park training centre, off the A22 at Wych Cross, at around 6pm yesterday.

Three fire engines and four other specialist vehicles were involved in a three hour operation to extinguish the flames and damp down the surrounding area.