The vast blaze at the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is still being tackled by firefighters.

Wildlife habitats devastated by the “utterly sickening” fire at Dunwich Heath could take up to 25 years to recover.

The area along the Suffolk coast went up in flames at about 17:00 BST on Wednesday before engulfing more than 250 acres (100 hectares) – equivalent to about 140 football pitches.

It included parts of the RSPB’s Minsmere nature reserve, which is home to rare birds and reptiles.