FIRE officials have praised the bus driver who saved his passengers by getting them out of the vehicle when it caught fire.

A Brookes bus caught fire on the A40 between Wheatley and Headington just before 4pm on Friday.

Fire crews from Wheatley and Thame found the double-decker bus on fire with flames coming from both the engine and passenger compartments.

Watch manager Mark Keely said: “I would like to thank the bus driver for his quick thinking and prompt actions to evacuate the bus prior to our arrival.

“No-one was injured by the fire due to his actions. He stopped the bus as soon as he discovered the fire and quickly got the passengers off it.”

The fire crews quickly put out the blaze. An Oxford Bus Company spokesman said: “One of our U1 Brookes Bus services from Wheatley was approaching the Green Road roundabout when the driver noticed smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle.

“He immediately pulled up and got all the passers off safely before the bus burst into flames.”

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