Gosport parks scorched after '˜rubbish fires'

Crews in the town were busy last night after receiving reports of fires just over an hour apart. 

At 6.47pm, the first took them to Privett Park where firefighters put out a '˜rubbish fire' inside 20 minutes. 

The park, on Privett Road, is home to Gosport Borough Football Club which has only recently been targeted by vandals '“ including arsonists '“ who cost the club an estimated £20,000 in repairs. 

Later at 7.49pm, they were called to Stanley Park off Gomer Lane, just over a mile away. 

The station confirmed this was also a rubbish fire and occurred near Alverbank Country House.

It added there was a '˜gathering of youths' at both scenes but the cause of each fire is '˜doubtful'. 

The station said grass at both sites was scorched.