Brits are among 800 holidaymakers and locals evacuated from hotels and homes, as 500 firefighters and 15 water-dumping planes continued to battle the blaze, which began on Wednesday.

The inferno has already devastated 5,000 acres of pine forest in the north of the party island. The towns of Sant Joan de Labritja, Portinatx and Cala de Sant Vicent have also been badly hit. So far there are no reported injuries.

A 50-year-old Spanish national is in police custody facing charges of negligence. It is thought the man, originally from Argentina, started the fire with a smoker he was using on a beehive.

A police spokesman said: “A spark fell at the moment that the fire started.” Source