Car fire forces road closure near shopping centre
Christmas shoppers were diverted en route to a popular shopping centre after a car fire forced a road to be closed.
Level Street, near The Waterfront, Brierley Hill, had to be closed after a Mini Cooper burst into flames at around 7pm yesterday.
It affected people attending the Merry Hill shopping centre.
The female driver left the car after it started to give off smoke and she had a 'strong smell of electrical burning', according to fire crews.
Firefighters from Brierley Hill station attended but such was the smoke coming from the car, which pulled up opposite the Pure Gym, on the left-hand side, that police closed Level Street.
Many drivers decided to turn around at the Copthorne Hotel on their approach as they saw the smoke.
Roy Whitehead, Brierley Hill watch commander, said the road was closed for up to an hour after the fire.
He said: "It did cause some problems. There was a lot of people that had the good sense to make a detour themselves though."