A CAR burst into flames on a major south Essex roundabout as drivers spotted smoke coming from a vehicle suspected to be “abandoned”.

Three fire crews were sent to tackle the flames at the Fairglen Interchange yesterday, which towered above the blue Ford Fiesta.

They quickly got the blaze under control and extinguished it 15 minutes after they arrived.

An Essex County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “Firefighters were called to a vehicle fire on the A130 at the Fairglen Interchange at 4.35pm on Sunday.

“On arrival, three crews reported that a car was on fire on a grass verge. Crews extinguished the fire by 4.50pm.”

Eyewitness Nicholas Lewis Mayo spotted the blaze while driving past.

He said: “I was coming off the A130 roundabout, just before the Rayleigh spur roundabout when I saw some smoke.

“When I stopped at the lights, I saw the car was ablaze.

“No one was in or around the car, so I believe it had been abandoned.”