Car catches fire on Uxbridge Road in Hayes End

A car caught fire on Uxbridge Road in Hayes End early on Wednesday 7 October.

Footage shared with UB1UB2 shows a small grey hatchback stopped at the side of the road around 7am, while it was still dark. Flames are coming out of the engine bay and spreading into the front of the car.

A police van with its blue lights on can be seen parked close to the burning car. Morning traffic slowly edges past in the next lane.

What is known

Neither the London Fire Brigade nor the Metropolitan Police has confirmed what caused the fire or whether anyone was hurt. It is also not known whether firefighters were called, or how long the car was alight.

The footage does not show anyone inside the car. There is no confirmed information about the driver or any passengers.

It is not known whether the road was closed while the scene was dealt with. The footage shows traffic still moving past the car.

A busy route through Hayes

Uxbridge Road, the A4020, is one of the main roads through the London Borough of Hillingdon. It links Uxbridge with Hillingdon, Hayes End, Hayes and Southall before heading on towards Ealing and central London.

Early on a weekday the road carries heavy commuter traffic and several bus routes. Even a short hold-up on this stretch can cause queues in both directions.

What to do if your car catches fire

The London Fire Brigade's general advice is that if you see smoke or flames coming from your vehicle, you should pull over as soon as it is safe and switch off the engine. Get everyone out, move well away from the vehicle and dial 999.

Drivers are told not to open the bonnet, because the extra air can make the fire much stronger. They should also never go back to the vehicle to collect belongings.

Vehicle fires can start for many reasons, including electrical faults, fuel leaks and engines overheating. Regular servicing helps to lower the risk.

Anyone with information about the incident can contact the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.