Firefighters tackle 2km-long moorland blaze near Ripponden

Firefighters are tackling a 2km (1.2 mile) long moorland blaze in West Yorkshire.

The blaze broke out near Oldham Road in Ripponden at about 12:15 BST, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (WYFRS) said.

The cause of the blaze is not currently known and smoke has been seen billowing across the M62.

A WYFRS spokesperson said 18 crews, including firefighters from Greater Manchester, were at the scene using specialist wildfire equipment to tackle the fire.

They asked the public to avoid the area.

The fire is the latest in a series of moorland blazes in West Yorkshire in recent weeks.

Earlier, the Met Office confirmed Thursday was the warmest start to May on record, with temperatures reaching 28C in London.