Double-decker bus catches fire in Chichester

The incident happened shortly after 6.30am in St Pancras in Chichester.

James Glue, operations manager at Home and Dry Cleaning and Laundry Services, called the fire brigade after he saw smoke billowing from the back of a Stagecoach bus.

He said: "It happened right outside my window.

"The bus driver had done an emergency stop as there was a lot of smoke coming out of the back of the bus.

Photo: West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

"It turned from a bit of steam into a full-on fire - by the time we called the fire brigade it had started to billow with flames. The engine must have caught fire.

"We managed to close the road with our own cars until the fire brigade turned up.

"Luckily there were no passengers on the bus and not a lot of traffic as it was early, but the driver was a bit shaken up."

A spokesman for West Sussex Fire and Rescue said: “We were called to reports of a double-decker bus on fire in St Pancras in Chichester at 6.36am this morning.

“Joint fire control mobilised one crew from Chichester and one from Bognor to the scene.

Photo: West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

"Upon arrival, firefighters quickly extinguished the fire using one hose reel.

"The fire is believed to have started accidentally, and fortunately there were no casualties as a result of this incident.”

A Stagecoach spokesman said the company is investigating what caused the bus to catch fire.

He said: “One of our buses, which was not in service, was involved in an incident in Chichester this morning.

“No passengers were on board and there were no injuries.

"Safety is our absolute priority, and we are investigating the cause of the incident.”