A CHERRY-PICKER crane caught fire and had to be extinguished by firefighters in North Yorkshire.

The incident occurred at just after noon yesterday in an access road at the under-construction A1, near Leeming Bar.

Crews from Bedale, Ripon and Northallerton attended the scene, and the crane suffered 80 per cent fire, heat and smoke damage.

A spokeswoman from North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue said the fire had been caused by an electrical fault.