Midwife Sylvia Armitage had a lucky escape when her car burst into flames as she drove to work at York District Hospital.

She had to flee her Rover 214 as flames engulfed the engine near the level crossing in Wigginton Road, York, and could only watch as it was gutted in minutes.

But cool Sylvia refused to let the drama interfere with her work. She asked a police officer to telephone colleagues to say she would be a few minutes late - then went into work and completed her shift on Saturday as normal.

"I could have gone home, but I've been in this job too long to panic," said Sylvia, 53, who has been a midwife for 30 years.

What had scared her most had been the speed of the fire, she said. "I was driving along to work and my car was 'kangaroo-ing' and then it stalled."

Seconds later the engine went up in flames.

"I got out as quickly as possible and ran away.

"The speed at which the car was engulfed was extremely frightening. I was all right, but you tend to think of what could have happened."

Sub-officer Phil Chilton, from York Fire Station, said there had been a fuel leak somewhere in the engine and fire had been caused by petrol vapour igniting in the heat.

By the time the fire was out, the only parts of the car still intact were the rear wheels and the boot.

Sylvia, who lives at Sheriff Hutton with her husband Keith, and children Richard 21 and Elizabeth 11, said: "Elizabeth thought it was cool once she knew I was all right, but I think Keith was very relieved.

"I think I was extremely lucky."

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