“Have a picnic, not a BBQ” - that’s the request from The Royal Parks as the summer months approach.

Last year, several lizards were killed, and ancient woodland were destroyed by a grassland blaze in Richmond Park.

The charity says fires often start when people position their BBQs under large trees which could be hundreds of years old. 

Some have become hollow over time, creating a chimney effect when a fire starts, enabling it to spread.