A FIRE which destroyed a car on a rural lane near East Meon at the weekend could have been much more serious.

Firefighters from Horndean and Cosham prevented a fire which engulfed a Land Rover on Oxenbourne Lane from spreading to an adjacent tree and thatched cottage.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels to extinguish the blaze which broke out around 2.30pm on Saturday.

A small section of an adjacent hedgerow also caught fire, according to a spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue.

Firefighters have blamed an electrical fault, which caused 100 per cent damage to the vehicle, for starting the fire.