Controlled farm fires send ‘horrendous blanket of smoke’ across Carnoustie area

People in the Carnoustie area have complained after controlled fires north of the town created a “horrendous blanket of smoke”.

The last two days have seen stubble burning outside Carnoustie in the field at Clayholes Farm.

A thick pall of white and grey smoke hung over the town and its surroundings for hours afterwards, with a call put in to Tayside Fire and Rescue just before midnight on Monday.

There was still a strong smell of smoke on Tuesday.

Locals took to the Our Carnoustie Facebook page to share their concerns, with Linsay Barraclough posting: ”I think it is shocking that the farmers have been allowed to create this horrendous blanket of smoke across the whole of Carnoustie.

”It must be affecting those who suffer from asthma. Shouldn’t we at least have been notified of this so that at least windows could be closed?”

Denise Murray said: ”I was in Carnoustie earlier when i was working and it was awful then, scary for people who don’t know where it is.”

The fire service said the owner had notified them of the fire in advance, as is the procedure for controlled fires, but had been asked to extinguish it after the late-night call.