Wimbledon: Electric double-decker bus catches fire during rush hour

An electric double-decker bus caught fire during the morning rush hour in south-west London.

Emergency services were called to Wimbledon Hill Road/Alwyne Road in Wimbledon shortly after 07:20 GMT.

Transport for London (TfL) said the bus was quickly evacuated, and the Met Police said no injuries were reported. The force declared a critical incident.

Max Pashley, a local resident, told City A.M, external.: "We heard a huge bang. We were terrified."

Tom Cunnington, TfL's head of bus business development, said: "Safety is our top priority and we are working with the operator, London General, and the bus manufacturer, Switch, to investigate what happened."

Road closures and cordons are in place and are expected to be for some time.

A Met Police spokesperson said: "We thank the local community for their patience and co-operation as emergency services work at the scene."

People have been advised to avoid the area.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, external, X, external and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk, external