A CAR that was almost destroyed after it exploded in a residential street was "accidentally" set alight.

Residents in Buckle Wood, Worcester, were woken up to two loud bangs in the early hours of the morning after a blue Audi exploded.

Fire crews rushed to the scene to put out the blaze and found that the car had "accidentally" been set on fire.

A picture taken after the fire was put out shows the top part of the car completely destroyed by the fire, and the insides appear to be badly damaged.

A spokesperson for Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said: "A HWFR crew from Worcester Fire Station was called at 1.58am on March 10 to a small vehicle on fire in Buckle Wood, Worcester.

"Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and using a hosereel jet extinguished the car.

"Police were informed, as deliberate ignition was suspected only for it subsequently to have been discovered to be an accidental ignition.

"The incident was marked as pending closure at 2.16am."

One onlooker said they were woken up by the sound of a large bang, which was then followed by a second one not long afterwards.

"I called the fire brigade at 1.29am last night after I heard a loud bang," they said. 

"Then there was another 20 minutes later on the street opposite.

"The fire brigade came straight away - they were brilliant.

"I guess the bang was what woke me up, but I did hear a loud bang about 20 or so minutes before that and didn't see anything.

 "When the second loud bang came, I could see an orange glow out of my bedroom window, so I went to check it out."

Footage from a doorbell captured by another resident shows the dramatic moment when the car caught fire. 

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "We were not required to attend this incident.

"It was not thought to be suspicious and the fire service dealt with it."