A MOORLAND blaze led fire crews to keep watch after it encircled land for a mile and a half.

The fire began to spread on Darwen Moor, near Edgworth, at around 7pm on Wednesday and quickly created a circle.

Crews were called to keep watch on land near to the Toby Inn Pub in Broadhead Road.

Fire crews from Darwen and Bolton stopped firefighting at 8pm, due to the lack of light available. However they remained until 11pm to ensure the blaze stayed on the moorland and did not threaten farmhouses or properties. Firefighters returned yesterday to carry out safety checks and ensure the blaze had been extinguished overnight.