Postman's car explodes

A car burst into flames in Bridgnorth today minutes after a postman had loaded it with mail.Eyewitnesses today told how they heard the car explode in West Castle Street at 9.20am.

The postman had turned on the heating in his VW Golf when the engine started to smoke. Minutes later it exploded.

Alec Cooper, of Bridgnorth Post Office, said: "He went to his car, just turned the heater on and it started to smoke.

"So he turned his heater off and got out of the car and it just started to burn. We managed to get all of the post out. It was his own private car. A lot of our postmen use their own cars for the drop off points."

Workmen from JJM Construction, who were working on a nearby shop, said it was a frightening experience. "We heard and saw the explosion so we ran out to stop any cars coming down the High Street. It was a frightening experience."

Dennis Hillier, a senior designer at Andy Collett Associates, said: "Our offices overlook where the explosion happened.

"One of the postal workers had pulled up to get some parcels and when he came back to his car he could see smoke coming out of the dash board. Then within a couple of minutes it was an inferno."

A spokeswoman for Shropshire Fire & Rescue added: "One pump from Bridgnorth was called to West Castle Street to reports of a saloon car on fire."

Fire crews also went to a bus fire at Danesford Grange at the same time. No-one was on the bus at the time of the fire which was believed to have started at the rear axle.

The picture of the fire was sent in by Star reader Luke Powell.