THE secretary of an Oxford golf club said he was relieved a fire last night did not cause major damage.

Fire crews were called at 7.20pm to Southfield Golf Course, in East Oxford, after three trees were set alight.

Colin Whittle, secretary of the club, said he believed vandals had set fire to brushwood in the rough of the second hole.

He said: "The wood was well alight and firefighters used beaters to put out the flames.

"But there has been no significant damage and this has not affected the playing areas - we would be much more concerned if any of our greens had been vandalised."