A POTENTIAL disaster was averted by a quick thinking petrol tanker driver.

The driver was delivering 30,000 litres of fuel to the Esso service station in New Road, Radcliffe, on Monday evening when he spotted flames spreading along the forecourt canopy above the sales building.

Fearing his tanker could explode, the driver halted the transfer of petrol and drove his vehicle to a safe distance while also alerting staff to the danger. They isolated the petrol pumps and evacuated the site shortly after 6.30pm.

Four fire crews from Bury and Whitefield fought the fire and managed to contain the flames to the roof area.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "It was lucky that the petrol delivery driver spotted the fire when he did and took the appropriate action or we could have had a catastrophe on our hands. Fortunately, we quickly extinguished the flames before they could threaten the petrol supplies and the damage was confined to the forecourt's canopy."

Youths are being blamed for starting the fire and the matter has been passed on to the police for investigation.