A CAR fire earlier this morning is causing some delays on the A338.

The fire took place around 6.10am on the southbound carriageway of the A338, around a mile from Ashley Heath roundabout.

Crews from Christchurch and Ferndown were called to deal with the incident, and extinguished the fire by 6.40am.

A small amount of petrol had leaked from the car and was cleared using Environment Agency pads.

The cause of the incident was believed to be an electrical fault within the engine.

It destroyed the engine compartment and caused smoke damage to the rest of the vehicle.

As a result of the fire, a small section of one lane is closed while the council clear up the road.