HEARTBREAKING pictures have been taken by photographer Craig Hannah who decided to escape the Easter crowds and to head up Alphin and the area devastated Tameside/Saddleworth moor fire last year.

He first visited the area a week after the fire broke out, then made several additional visits up until six weeks after it first began.

He said: “I was interested to see what had changed.I know from previous visits it was total disbelief as to how an area I loved had changed so drastically.

“But 10 months later and it's still a sorry sight. It was more like walking through a desert today.

“ One of the first things to hit me 10 months ago was the lack of sound ... it was still the same today, no songbirds or insects making a background noise.

“It's off the beaten track and away from the popular tourist areas ... but it’s so very sad,” he added.