THE National Trust has scrapped plans for a VE Day 80th anniversary beacon lighting event on Exmoor because of wildfire fears.

The event would have happened on the highest point in Somerset, Dunkery Beacon, near Wheddon Cross.

The landmark location stands 1,705 feet, making a lit beacon visible from across a large area of the county.

But a trust spokesperson said: “It would not be responsible to light the beacon just now.”

They said the reason was ‘the driest March in decades, an unusually warm April, and one of the worst years for wildfires on record creating a high risk of fire on Exmoor’.

The decision came as a wildfire destroyed nearly 1,250 acres of Dartmoor over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue (DSFR) mobilised more than a dozen fire crews and used drones and a police helicopter during a massive firefighting operation.

DSFR warned in April that people should not light barbecues on the Blackdown and Quantock Hills and Exmoor during the warm and dry weather conditons.

It said sensitive areas such as Exmoor could suffer long lasting damage and a significant impact on the landscape from uncontrolled wildfires.