A spate of wheelie bin arsons in King's Lynn have led police to issue warnings about keeping them stored out of sight.

Householders in Gaywood and North Lynn are being told to keep their bins secure and out of the way after a number of overnight arsons which have seen fires spread to nearby vehicles.

Ten deliberate fires are currently under investigation, with half started by nearby wheelie bins being set alight and pushed against vehicles.

These include two incidents reported this week - at Gaywood's Orchard Close at 11pm on Monday and Tawny Sedge in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Since January 1, similar incidents have been reported on Fairstead, at West Mark, Copperfield and Wingfield, at Cemetery Drive in Gaywood and Stag Place and Woodwark Avenue in North Lynn.

Gaywood Inspector Mark Cant said: 'While it has not yet been established that all of these fires are linked, there a common factors. All have been committed in the hours of darkness and it's clear that wheelie bins are a common source of ignition.

'Patrols have been stepped up and police are taking pro-active measures to tackle the issue. In the meantime, as a preventative measure, we are asking householders to ensure their bins are moved away from their vehicles and, preferably, stored out of sight. If anyone witnesses suspicious activity around vehicles after dark, they are advised to call police immediately on 999.'

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the Gaywood, Fairstead and Reffley Safer Neighbourhood Team on 0845 456 4567 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.