A DRIVER had a lucky escape when his car caught fire at a petrol station after it was refuelled.

The Vauxhall Zafira reportedly exploded in the car park of the Shell garage off Kay Street near B&Q at around 8pm after the driver had filled up.

It is thought he noticed black smoke coming from his dashboard and moved the car away from the pumps to the far side of the forecourt.

The dark blue car then caught fire after the driver got out. He was unharmed.

One fire crew from Bolton Central was on scene for 45 minutes and put out the blaze.

Crew manager Phil Dearden described the car as "well alight" and said it was lucky the car had been moved away from the pumps.

It is believed the fire resulted from an electrical fault.

The quick-thinking attendant at the Shell garage isolated the fuel pumps immediately, got people away from the forecourt and called the fire brigade.

The employee, who did not wish to be named, said afterwards: "He had just filled up and paid then he noticed smoke coming from the car.

"Obviously he could see there was something wrong so he moved it away from the pumps.

"The car is absolutely finished. It was pretty much melted by the time the fire was put out.

"It was lucky it was out of the way of the pumps before it went up. It caught fire about two minutes after it was moved."

The burnt out car was later taken away by a recovery vehicle after the blaze was put out.

The affected area of the forecourt, covered in melted plastic and bits of debris, was coned off by the Shell attendant.