A faulty engine led to a bus catching alight outside the Southend Travel Centre on Saturday morning.

The number 25 bus, belonging to First Bus, had just pulled into the depot in Chichester Road having travelled from Basildon when it caught fire at about 6.35am.

The female driver had left the vehicle momentarily to go inside the centre before coming back out to find smoke coming from the engine at the back of the single decker bus.

Firefighters from Southend fire station where able to extinguish the flames within 30 minutes.

An initial investigation at the scene by crew members has suggested a fault in the engine caused a fuel supply to ignite.

No one was injured and traffic in the area was not delayed.