PEDESTRIANS and other motorists had a narrow escape when a family's 1920s replica charabanc caught fire and careered down a hill (Marnie Smith writes).

Mervyn and Karen Emery, from Oakdale Road, Herne Bay, and Mr Emery's 93-year-old mother Beatrice, on holiday from Gloucestershire, had just collected the coach from storage at a farm.

They were driving along Mickleburgh Hill at Herne Bay on Tuesday when Mr Emery noticed smoke pouring from the engine. He stopped the charabanc and told his wife to dial 999 while he helped his mother from the vehicle.

The three then watched in horror from the other side of the road as the vehicle burst into flames.

Moments later the fire burned through the handbrake cable, sending the flaming charabanc hurtling down the hill.

“There were lots of other cars, and we just ran down the hill trying to warn people,” said retired Mr Emery who is 67. “Then the door came off and the windows blew out.”

“It was not a good sight,” added Mrs Emery, 41, a science teacher at the Community College, Whitstable, “All I could see were people and cars and I didn’t know how it was all going to end.”

Fortunately the charabanc swerved to the right and came to an abrupt stop on the opposite side of the road when it hit a hedge in a garden on the corner of Tynedale Gardens - setting fire to it.

Council street cleaners Serco in their Scarab Magnum arrived on the scene shortly afterwards to scrape up enough melted glass and metal before the street could be reopened to traffic.

At one point a piece of debris split in two and burst into flames as the council vehicle picked it up. Fortunately it got wedged on its way in to the truck and didn’t cause any internal damage.

Mr and Mrs Emery had high hopes for the attractive blue charabanc, now a charred metal skeleton.

They had hoped to hire out for wedding parties and had searched for one like it for a long time before buying it in Canterbury just two months ago. The couple had just had it fitted with new carpet and seats.

“We’re just thankful no-one was hurt,” added Mr Emery.