A Surbiton mum-of-two has described the moment she saw a family get pulled out of a car moments before it burst into flames on the M25.
Claire Inns said her car broke down on the motorway on Sunday (October 7), due to an issue with her clutch about two lamp posts in front of a black BMW, before she watched the incident unfold.
The 36-year old saw officers swoop out of an armed response vehicle and pull two men and a young boy out of the smoking car moments before it was too late.
She said: “The police were just driving along. They were in lane three and happened to be behind this car and they noticed the car was on fire.
Credit: Claire Inns
“They got them out of the car and took them over to the metal barriers in the emergency lane.
“If the police had not been there, it would have caused some massive accident.”
Mrs Inns spoke to the family pulled out of the car and said they were on their way back from a holiday in the Philippines.
She said: “After the fire was completely out and the fire brigade made the car safe, they came and took all of their bits out of the boot.
“I offered some carrier bags for all the bits that they could salvage from the car. They were in shock, just shock. I feel quite sorry for them.”
Mrs Inns added that the car was a brand new 14 plate black BMW and that she “was quite surprised for a car like that to catch fire”.
Surrey Fire and Rescue confirmed four fire engines were called at around 4.40pm on Sunday to a report of a car fire between junctions 8 and 9 of the M25.
A Surrey Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "Four fire engines were sent to extinguish the fire and we left shortly before 6pm.”
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