ROAD resurfacing work in Purley look a dramatic turn last night when a lorry containing gas cylinders caught alight.

Fire crews from Dee Road and Caversham Road were called to Long Lane at 10.30pm, where a flatbed lorry being used to tarmac the road went up in flames.

Crew manager John Murby said: "It could have been a major incident, but the road workers did a very good job and got the cylinders off the lorry very quickly.

They also put metal road signs in front of the cylinders they couldn't get to, to block the heat from the fire."

Crews spent one hour putting out the blaze and the contents of the lorry was destroyed.

The cause of the fire is unknown.