Havering is one of the worst London boroughs for wildfires, experiencing more than 300 fires in the summer periods since 2020.

New data from the London Assembly Research Unit has revealed that Havering is one of three London boroughs with the highest number of outdoor fires, alongside Bexley and Hounslow.

In the summers between 2020 and 2023 Havering experienced 315 wildfires - topped only by Bexley at 334.

The most fires raged in the summer of 2022 - with 155 across the borough in total - when temperatures reached 40C in some parts of the UK.

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Fire Committee chair Hina Bokhari AM said: "Wildfires are a worrying threat to the safety of Londoners, with increased temperatures caused by climate change leading to an ever-greater likelihood of such incidents."

Ms Bokhari has written to London Fire Brigade Commissioner Andy Roe, to ask whether he supports the Fire Brigades Union's call for a new national strategy for wildfires.

Firefighters were called to a field fire in Fredericks Lane just last weekFirefighters were called to a field fire in Frederick Road just last week (Image: Angie Murray (FB))

This calls for more funding and research to be put in place to prepare for the threat of wildfires. 

The research from the London Assembly Research Unit also showed that boroughs with more publicly accessible green space generally experienced a higher number of outdoor fires.

Havering had the third highest amount of publicly accessible green spaces in London, and the second highest number of outdoor fires.

Rainham in particular has faced numerous wildfires already this summer, with three fire engines dispatched to a field fire in Frederick Road just last week.