Last year, the government introduced a ban to protect what it called “England’s national rainforests” from deliberate fires by landowners and grouse shooters. But our investigation just revealed the ban is a sham, with blazes raging across the UK’s peatlands.

Peatland is the UK’s largest natural carbon store on land, ‘locking in’ an estimated 3.2 billion tonnes - equivalent to all the forests in the UK, Germany and France put together. It also provides nesting and feeding grounds for birds and important habitats for rare insects and plants. But over the last year estates intentionally set hundreds of fires, scorching this area to make way for new heather that grouse feed on. All this so a few wealthy landowners can keep the grouse hunts going.

How can we take the government seriously in tackling the climate and nature emergency if they can’t even protect vital natural land in our own backyard?

It’s time to end this senseless burning, for a senseless “sport”. Add your name to tell the Environment Secretary to act now.