RESIDENTS and passersby were left in shock after a camper van burst into flames in Red Hill in Stourbridge this lunchtime (Tuesday).

People in nearby streets reported hearing a loud bang and a plume of black smoke billowing into the sky.

Brierley Hill firefighters were swiftly on the scene, followed by a crew from Haden Cross, and they managed to put out the flames which according to one onlooker were as high as the nearby trees.

No-one is believed to have been hurt in the drama, which unfolded just after 12.45pm, but the camper van was completely destroyed.

The driver of the van, Michael Powditch, has told to the News of his frightening escape.

Stourbridge News:

Crew commander Chris Green, from Brierley Hill Fire Station, said: "You could see the plumes of smoke from Brierley Hill. It's not an engine fault so it must've been something in the back that caused it."