A DRIVER and his mother were rescued by two brothers just moments before their car dramatically burst into flames.

The Rover 25 caught fire at the roundabout at the end of Crown Street, Darlington, at 11.25am on Friday in front of scores of shoppers.

Geoffrey Smart was driving his mother into town for a shopping trip when his green Rover stalled at the roundabout as he drove from Stonebridge towards Tubwell Row.

His car stalled on the roundabout, before smoke and flames started to pour out from underneath the car and engine.

Two brothers, Joseph and Kenneth Atkinson, who were stood near the bus stops on Tubwell Row, ran to the car with a bus driver to help the two occupants out.

They said: "There are two lucky people there.

"We were just stood and saw the car pull up. Suddenly there was smoke coming out.

"They sat there and we saw the black smoke out and then some rubber housing burning and dropping down.

"We ran across and told them to get out. They got out and it just went off."

Mr Smart, who said the car had just been serviced, added: "I have no idea what happened. It just stalled and started to smoke. We sat there before someone ran down and said to quickly get out."

As soon as the pair got out of the car, it exploded from underneath. A fire crew from the nearby Darlington station arrived on the scene.

They extinguished flames in the footwell before opening the engine and putting out the rest of the fire.

Crew manager Alan Nixon said: "It was well alight by the time we arrived even though we are just over the road."

He said the fire had started in the engine, possibly the fuel injection system.

Police blocked off the roads during the incident, which attracted the interest of shoppers in the town centre.

Buses were delayed before the roads were reopened at 11.45am.