Van fire causes explosion in car park

The fire service was called just after midday to a van fire that spread to several other vehicles

Flames from a van fire spread to three further vehicles before causing an explosion in a car park.

Firefighters were called to the incident at the S&R Motors Greenbridge Ltd car park, near Bridge End road in Swindon, at about 12:18 GMT.

Thick smoke could be seen billowing across the town after the blaze. One witness described her shock as the van blew up moments after an onlooker had run inside a nearby pub to locate a fire extinguisher.

A spokesperson from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said they sent three crews to the incident.

Angela Curtis, who witnessed the aftermath, said: "Someone ran inside the Dockle Farmhouse pub to get a fire extinguisher but it was too late, within seconds the whole van had gone up.

"It had rolled backwards and caught one of the cars on fire at the back of it and the campervan which was on the left hand side of it, and that all went up so quickly.

"And then we saw some of the canisters got blown out of the van into the car park."