A POST van burst into flames on the roadside earlier today. 

Firefighters from Preston Circus were called to Lewes Road, Brighton, at 12.41pm to extinguish the blaze engulfing the Royal Mail van.

Passersby watched in horror as a small fire underneath the engine suddenly engulfed most of the bonnet after a gust of wind, while the driver had gone to collect mail.

Rachael Power, 21, of Hanover, said: "It was pretty scary. I was just walking past and there was this small fire and then it blew up onto the wheel. The van driver said the engine had been revving quite a lot before he pulled in."

Sally Hopkins, a Royal Mail spokeswoman, said: "Fortunately, the driver was not hurt, and no mail inside the van was damaged. The mail was recovered from the van and returned to our office for processing as usual."

 

The Argus: Picture: Chris Robert Picture: Chris Robert Picture: Marcin Zarowny