Dramatic pictures show a car after it burst into flames as its owner looked on.

The incident at around 11am today took place in Chorley Old Road, outside the Bobs Smithy restaraunt, opposite the junction for Old Kiln Lane. 

The car was being driven along the road when it suffered an engine fault and began to smoke. 

The occupants of the car got out after it started smoking and it burst into flames soon after.

Jordan Brookes, aged 33, runs the Bobs Smithy and saw the incident occur.

He said: "We were working outside and we thought look at that car smoke and the next thing we knew it burst into flames.

"It was a brand new white Mercedes. They were coming up the hill and the smoking started and he pulled over.

"The driver was standing quite close to it and when it starting making popping noises and there was an explosion.

"Everyone who was parked near it started to move their cars away. 

"It was about 30 yards down the road, that is how close it was.

"A lot of people pulled over. They worried about driving too close."

The car was well alight when firefighters from Bolton Central station arrived and it was extinguished.