A BUS which caught fire on the Oxford ring road last night had to be flagged down by a fellow motorist.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called at 7.30pm to Littlemore Roundabout near Rose Hill by a driver who spotted flames coming from the back of an Oxford Bus Company bus.

They managed to attract the attention of the bus driver, who then pulled over.

In videos shared on social media the vehicle can be seen entirely engulfed in fire.

Oxford Bus Company has confirmed no passengers were onboard and it was not in service at the time.

READ AGAIN: School bus 'partially destroyed' after catching fire with students on board

By the time first of three fire crews arrived the rear of the bus was already 'totally destroyed' and flames were also spreading along the upper and lower decks.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus worked to extinguish the fire using hose reels.

Oxford Mail:

The burned out bus. Picture supplied by Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service

Station manager Paul Webster said: “Fortunately, no one was hurt on this occasion, the rear of the bus was totally destroyed before the arrival of the first crew from Rewley Road.

"The 999 call was received from a motorist behind the bus, who was also able to attract the driver and stop the bus. The vehicle was not in service and on its way back to the depot.

The road was closed for a number of hours whilst the incident was dealt with and Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue would like to thank the drivers for their patience”

Along with delays while fire crews, who spent 90 minutes at the scene, there were also reports of temporary traffic lights at the roundabout this morning.

It is not known whether this was related.

READ AGAIN: Round-up of recent bus blazes as bus catches fire in Kennington

It is the fourth bus fire in the county this year, with passengers on the 35 Oxford Bus Company service reporting in October a 'horrible smell' shortly before the vehicle caught fire.

A school bus, meanwhile, was partially destroyed after catching fire with students on board in March.

An Oxford Bus Company spokesman said: "The vehicle was out of service at the time of the incident and no passengers were onboard.

"The emergency services attended the scene and we are now carrying out a full investigation to identify the cause.

"We apologise to anyone inconvenienced by the incident and subsequent delays.” 

Ryan Prescott posted a video of the aftermath of the blaze, with two fire engines seen and the fire put out.