FIRE chiefs are warning residents across Dorset to be careful with their Christmas decorations this year in a bid to prevent potential fires.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) have given one key piece of advice for people across the county this festive period - ‘ turn off your Christmas lights at night’.

A DWFRS spokesperson said: “Festive decorations look lovely and really add to the holiday atmosphere, but they can burn easily – don’t hang them near sources of heat, such as lights or radiators, and always switch off anything electrical overnight.”

Ensuring lights are switched off at night goes a long way to ensure that the decorations do not catch alight when left unattended in a bid to prevent fires.