A LORRY driver from York had to flee his vehicle after it suddenly burst into flames.

The 65-year-old man was driving with 25 tonnes of hay in his trailer, when a mechanical fault started a fire.

The blaze happened on the A75 at Collin, just east of Dumfries in Scotland. Both sides of the dual carriageway were closed as a result of smoke billowing across the road and heat from the fire melted part of the road.

The fire happened at about 11am on Monday and the road remained closed for more than 27 hours. The local fire brigade is investigating the incident.

Local reports said the driver, who was heading west towards Stranraer, was flagged down by passing motorists who saw smoke. He unhooked the trailer from the articulated lorry unit, before the fire could spread to it.