FIREFIGHTERS tackled a car that overheated and burst into flames at a busy junction in Yeadon.

A male driver of the Jaguar managed to escape the car before the blaze took hold, on Bayton Lane at the junction of Harrogate Road, the A658, just before 1pm yesterday.

The road was closed for about an hour as the crew from Rawdon fire station safely removed the vehicle from the road.

Watch commander Steve Holdsworth said: “The driver noticed the car was overheating, so he got out at the junction and called us.

“We were there within about three minutes, but the fire escalated quickly and the car was quite heavily involved.

“It did cause some traffic problems as we had to close the road to make sure it was safe.

“The driver was uninjured, but once a car fire takes hold it is difficult to save.”