CONCERNS have been raised about people having bonfires on their allotment sites, despite being asked not to during the government's imposed lockdown.

Allotments have not been closed, as people are still permitted to visit their plot to take daily exercise as long as they observe social distancing guidelines.

Calls from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) have been made for people to not have bonfires at this time.

A DWFRS spokesperson said: "Many people will now be spending more time tidying up their gardens, but with the closure of council tips and the suspension of garden waste collection services, there may be a temptation to have bonfire instead. Bonfires can very quickly get out of control and DWFRS has seen an increase in calls as a result.

"Not only that, bonfires can cause a nuisance to neighbours, especially for those who are at present unable to go outside of the perimeters of their property, so the only opportunity they have for fresh air is within the confines of their garden, so please consider your neighbours and whether it is really necessary to have a bonfire."

However, a Weymouth resident has said that some people using the Sandsfoot allotments at the top of Rylands Lane said these instructions are not being followed.

They said: "Each day there have been around 20 cars with allotment holders visiting their allotments. They typically stay around three hours and at any one time there are 10 cars parked there.

"Some of the allotment holders work on their plot but quite a number simply sit in chairs in the sun. Yesterday a number of holders lit bonfires – one was grass cuttings pumping out noxious smoke for over two hours.

"The council put up a notice asking for no bonfires but have done nothing to stop people driving to the site and staying there hour after hour. The entrance is a single gate – which is an infection point – and the allotment holders can be seen chatting to each other around the entrance. Many of the people coming to the allotments are clearly over 70 and some are infirm and will put a considerable burden on the NHS if they fall ill.

"My neighbour said he’d never seen so many cars parked there for the allotments and said if they were youngsters in a park the council would have done something."