An electrical fault is thought to have caused a fire which destroyed a car’s engine compartment.

The Ford Focus burst into flames about half an hour after the owner had parked it outside his home in Woodhall Road, Thornbury, Bradford.

A neighbour alerted the owner at about 10.45pm yesterday after hearing one of the tyres burst under the intense heat from the fire.

A fire service spokesman said: “It is under investigation. He had been driving the car but not within the previous 30 minutes or so.

“It seems likely that it was caused by some sort of electrical fault.”