COACH passengers near Wythall had a lucky escape on Sunday when their vehicle burst into flames before firefighters could arrive.

About 20 Redditch firefighters spent two hours battling the fire on the A435 using hose reel jets and breathing apparatus, after passengers had reached safety.

A fire spokesman said: "The driver thought he smelt something burning and felt the steering go a bit funny, so he got off the motorway, and the vehicle burst into flames."

A police spokesman said: "An investigation will now take place on the vehicle to establish what condition it was in and how the fire started."

The coach, which was heading to Yorkshire, was impounded by police.