THIS is the moment a car burst into flames on a busy Taunton street.

Motorists were delayed and residents watched on in shock as a Citroen ZX suddenly went up in smoke on Station Road at 5.40pm yesterday (November 20).

County Gazette reporter, Alice Simmons was at the scene and this is what she saw. 

"I was walking down Station Road when I saw a man lying on the ground, I asked him if he needed help but he walked away but pointed out the flaming car to me. 

"When I looked at the car I could see that the steering wheel was on fire and that the fire was spreading quickly. 

"Some people were on their phones calling for help from the fire brigade and others were running to safety. 

"The street was filling up with thick black smoke and the fire was really intense, you could feel the heat all down the street. 

"Cars were turning round and I could hear sirens in the background.

"When the fire brigade arrived a few minutes later, they asked everyone to stand back, people watched on in shock as the fire was put out in a matter of minutes."

Police diverted traffic on Station Road while firefighters put out the blaze. 

Thankfully, no one was injured as a result of the fire. 

One witness, who withheld their name, said: "I spoke to the driver and they said they were giving a friend a lift when they said they could smell burning plastic, the next thing they knew the steering wheel was on fire.”

A spokesman for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters could see smoke and flames coming from the vehicle when they arrived at the scene. 

“The vehicle that was on the public highway was well alight and crews got to work using two breathing apparatus sets and two hose reel jets.

”The car was found to be severely damaged by fire once extinguished. 

"The cause of the fire was accidental," the spokesman said. 

Since the fire, the car has been removed from the road and a police cordon surrounds an area of scorched ground. 

Pictures show cracks have appeared on the windows of Calverts, a furniture store on Station Road. 

The car was sat directly outside the store when the fire started.

It is not yet clear how much damage was done to the store.