Authorities on Crete moved more than a thousand tourists and residents to safety as an out-of-control wildfire engulfed a forested area in the southwest of the island.

Most of those fleeing the blaze were tourists as firefighters struggled against heavy winds to bring the flames under control.

Around 3,000 Crete residents have been evacuated and put up in temporary shelters, and people remaining in their homes have been told to close 'all the doors and windows'