Firefighters were called to a small fire on Christchurch Road, Ilford on Thursday morning which they say was started by schoolchildren.

An officer, who did not wish to be named, worked with two other colleagues to put out the small blaze, which consisted of bits of paper and wood that appeared to have been set alight.

He said he believed it had been started by youngsters after he saw a group of children fleeing the area on their arrival.

He told the Recorder the police had not been informed as the youngsters were very young. “I don’t know what school they came from, but we didn’t see the worth in calling the police,” he said.

“We will monitor the call-outs on this road and see if there is a trend,” he added.