A road near Watlington was closed in both directions this morning due to a bus fire.

A spokesman for Oxford Bus Company confirmed one of the operator's vehicles was involved in the incident in Cuxham.

The driver was able to escape the bus without injuries and there were no passengers on the stationary bus at the time.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire road closed as fire crews issue public warning

The spokesman said: “We can confirm one of our vehicles was involved in a major thermal incident in Cuxham this morning. The vehicle was not in service, was stationary at the time and the driver had safely disembarked before the incident occurred.

“No passengers or other vehicles were involved and there were no injuries. Our driver contacted the emergency services who attended the scene and we have now opened an internal investigation into the cause of the incident.

“The first journey from Watlington our 11-service operated 45 minutes late and there was disruption to traffic on the B480 as a result of the incident and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

“We would like to reassure passengers that we have an excellent safety record, all our vehicles undergo regular, extensive checks and maintenance and incidents of this nature are extremely rare.”

Fire crews from Slade Park, Wallingford and Thame were called to the accidental fire of the stationary Oxford Bus Company vehicle at 7.24am before leaving the scene just before 10am. 

A spokesman for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of this fire was accidental and believed to be due to a blown tyre which then caused the vehicle's brakes to overheat.

The AA said the incident was ongoing from 9am, causing the B480 to close both ways from Willow Close to the Benson turn off.

A map from the AA showing where the fire reportedly happenedA map from the AA showing where the fire reportedly happened (Image: AA)

Despite the road being closed, the AA reported that traffic was coping well throughout the morning.