A VAN driver has told of his narrow escape from death after his vehicle burst into flames on a busy road in Kent.

Paul Cummins, 32, said he was grateful to be alive after the incident at the junction of the M20 and the A228 at Leybourne, near West Malling, early on Friday morning.

The father-of-one, who lives at Middle Mill Road, West Malling, stressed: "I had a narrow escape from death. It was not a good experience. I was lucky."

The van's engine started to smoke when Mr Cummins was at a set of traffic lights on the A228 roundabout.

He said: "It smelt like burning rubber. I thought I could get to the nearest layby but then it started to smoke all over the place."

He moved the van off the road on the A228 roundabout, which enabled highway officers to open up one of the lanes.

"Just because you have had an accident, you don't want to put other people in danger or cause them problems. The van is ruined. It has no front end anymore.

"It could have been worse. I could have been on the motorway and I would not have seen the smoke at all. I am just glad to live another day."

Mr Cummins runs a print business on the Springhead Enterprise Park in Northfleet, along with his mother, Maria. He contacted her by mobile phone minutes after the incident.

Mrs Cummins, who lives at Cuxton, near Rochester, said: "I am just relieved he was okay and glad that no one else was hurt. A van can be replaced, but not a person."

She added: "The fire brigade praised him for getting the van off the road. He managed to get it over to one side to prevent causing too much chaos."

Traffic was held up for a long period while the emergency services dealt with the blaze which happened at about 8.30am.