Firefighters searched for 40 minutes for a fire yesterday after a panicked caller said they had spotted smoke.

Epsom and Leatherhead fire engines were called to near College and Longdown Roads, Epsom, at about 8.20pm last night.

A spokesman at Leatherhead fire station said firefighters walked around trying to find where smoke was coming from.

But he said: "It was a bonfire. There was a bit excitement but it turned out to be nothing."