A WOMAN had a lucky escape when her car caught fire and rolled down the road in a ball of flames.

The driver smelt burning when she stopped at Ailsa Road, Westcliff, just after 3.30pm yesterday.

Minutes after she parked and got out of the car it caught fire.

One crew from Leigh rushed to the scene, but as they arrived the car’s brakes failed and it rolled down the hill smashing into a wooden fence.

Chris Seal, leading fire officer at Leigh fire station, said: “The fire was burning well when we arrived. As we were pulling down the road the car’s brakes failed so the car went down the hill and smashed into a wooden fence at the side of the house.

“Luckily it missed all the other cars. I’m not sure how, it was quite miraculous.”

There were no injuries and the fire crew left the scene about 40 minutes later having extinguished the blaze.

READ MORE IN MONDAY'S ECHO.