A LORRY fire at Worcester caused an explosion which sent flames shooting out "like a flamethrower".

Firefighters set up a 25 metre cordon around the blaze at the heart of the University of Worcester campus.

The lorry, used by a contractor to paint white lines on the road, contained eight cylinders of liquified petroleum gas.

A student who witnessed the blaze said it looked like flames coming out of a flamethrower.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated but a blast blew out property windows and damaged cars. Emergency services were called to the scene at 2.42pm today.

A spokesperson at the University of Worcester said: "A number of buildings remain evacuated and people will be allowed into the buildings affected as soon as the fire brigade who are on campus give the all-clear.”

• See tomorrow's Worcester News for the full story.