Firefighters warn North Yorkshire wild campers 'do not waste our time'

North Yorkshire firefighters have urged wild campers to be more considerate after reports of a building on fire turned out to be a campfire.

Crew from Masham Fire Station spent three hours walking in the "pitch dark" near Roundhill Reservoir after a call from police at 20:50 GMT on 6 January.

But instead of a property on fire the crew found some "youngsters" camping.

The station said the search put the firefighters in danger and was an "unnecessary waste of resources".

In a statement on social media Masham Fire Station also said the crew, from Ripon, only had torches to see with and although the blaze was just a campfire, it "could have been more serious".

The statement added: "Please think about the consequences of your actions before wild camping in rural areas.

"See what the conditions were like and imagine having to walk that in the pitch dark. Not fun."

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