POLICE have issued a warning after an Oxfordshire skate park was set ablaze.

Thames Valley Police said a fire had to be extinguished at the Carterton Skate Park on Saturday afternoon.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service attended and brought the fire under control before it could spread.

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Police later warned that a disaster was narrowly averted.

The force said: “This could have been a disaster for the area and local wildlife. Why spoil a lovely area?”

An image shared with the post appeared to show a large area of scorched land where the fire had spread.

Last week youths were blamed for a spate of fires in West Oxfordshire - including at the skate park in Carterton.

An alert from officers said over the last few weeks, several small fires have been lit around the town. 

Always call 999 in a fire emergency.