FIREFIGHTERS from Bridgwater were called to tackle a school bus fire in Chilton Polden this morning (Monday).

Emergency services, including two fire engines and a water carrier from Bridgwater, plus another fire engine from Street, were sent to the incident in Broadway at around 8am.

On arrival they found a 56-seater coach was well alight.

Crews used six sets of breathing apparatus, two compressed air foam jets, two main jets and a safety jet to extinguish the fire.

At the time of the incident only the driver was onboard.

A police spokesperson told the Mercury: "The driver noticed that the vehicle was smoking and go off. "Highways were called to close the road and they are now assessing the road for fire damage."

The coach was completely destroyed by fire and crews spent sometime damping down after the fire was extinguished.

Resident Michael Sandford, who lives in Broadway, said: “At first I thought it was a building fire and the smoke was wafting over my garden.”

Mr Sandford sent in this video footage of the scene taken on his mobile phone.

The video can also be viewed here.