Firemen are hoping a new scheme will help them sharpen their responses to blazes on Mitcham Common this summer.

Fire posts, which carry an identification number, have been installed near areas of long grass where fires are common. Anyone who spots flames nearby can quote the post number when they call 999 - making it easier for crews to arrive on the scene in good time.

Paul Moorhouse, assistant fire warden for Mitcham Common, said fires on the common were a mixture of deliberate arson attacks and blazes started by discarded cigarettes, matches and barbecues. He said if the 11 posts helped cut down response times more would be installed.