Wildfires threaten national parks in the Canaries

Wildfires have forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and are threatening some of Spain's most precious national parks, including a Unesco World Heritage site.

Blazes on La Gomera and Tenerife in the Canary Islands forced more than 4,000 people from their homes. The government said fire crews were "finding it difficult to limit the spread of fire".

Among sites at risk on La Gomera is Garajonay, a World Heritage park that contains woodlands dating from 11 million years ago. The Spanish mainland has also suffered wildfires as temperatures hit 44C (111F).