YOUNGSTERS could face hefty fines - or even prison - if they light fires in fields and parks following a spate of grass fires, a fire chief has warned.

The fire service has seen a sharp increase in field and grass blazes during the summer school holidays as the warm weather hits.

Last Friday, there were FOUR separate fires in Basildon’s Gloucester Park, Cranes Farm Road, alone.

Neil Fenwick, head of community safety at the fire service, warned that youngsters should think twice before lighting fires in fields and parks.

He said they can quickly escalate out of control and can even set light to buildings.

He also warned that deliberately setting light to grass can lead to fines up to £5,000 and even a two-year prison sentence.

Mr Fenwick said: “By starting grass fires you are not only risking injury to yourselves and others, including firefighters, you also risk criminal prosecution and a fine or even a prison sentence.

“During the school summer holidays we see a very sharp increase in the number of field and grass fires attended by our firefighters.

“Young people who deliberately start grass fires need to think about what they are doing. These fires might start small but they soon spread over wide areas as they spread uncontrolled.

“They can easily spread to engulf building and cause injuries. While crews are tied up tackling grass fires they are not available to attend emergencies elsewhere.”

Andrew Buxton, Labour councillor for St Martin’s ward, said: “I think people need to be punished for doing this because someone could potentially get killed.

“These fires can get quickly out of control someone could accidentally get cut off.

“If it’s children that are doing it then they need to be taught a lesson. I think that if the parents are fined then that could be a deterrent too.

“Get the kids and the parents to pick up the littler in parks too.”

Fire crews from Basildon, Rayleigh, South Woodham Ferrers and Clacton, were needed to tackle the blazes which spread across Gloucester park and only managed to extinguish them after about one hour and 20 minutes.

The blaze came just six days after another blaze in the park on a hill near to the Sporting Village. A two-and-a-half acres of dry glass was set alight on this occasion.

Sgt Al Burridge, from the Basildon community policing team, said if young teenagers were found to be starting grass fires, his youth officer would get involved.

He added: “We would deal with it on a case by case basis.”