Double decker bus bursts into flames in the middle of Kingston town centre

Two fire crews battle blaze as orange flames engulf back of vehicle

A London bus in flames in Kingston (Screengrab)

A bus has burst into flames in the middle of a street in south west London.

The driver escaped and was rushed to hospital after a 371 bus burst into flames near the Guildhall/Rose Theatre stop in High Street, Kingston.

Two fire crews battled with the blaze as bright orange flames engulfed the back of the vehicle.

It was not clear whether any passengers were on the bus but London Ambulance Service staff were at the scene to treat people for smoke inhalation.

Martin Delaney, who witnessed the fire, described the scene as “chaotic”.

"The road was taped off, there were acrid burning smells, local shops' fire alarms or smoke detectors had been triggered - it was quite a mess," Mr Delaney said.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said local residents were evacuated "as a safety precaution" and road closures were in place.

Tony Akers, Transport for London's head of bus operations, said the cause of the fire was not known, but a "full investigation" would take place.

There were no casualties in the incident.

Press Association contributed to this report.