A BLACKBURN man has died after his car caught fire following a crash near Clitheroe.

Police officers are investigating the cause of the crash about 6am yesterday on the A59 between Barrow and Clitheroe.

A member of the public reported the incident to police.

Only one car, a Nissan Almera, was said to have been involved in the crash, and it is thought that the driver, whose identity has not been released by police, hit a safety barrier in the road.

The cause of the crash is still unknown, but the car then caught fire, and the driver was found dead inside the vehicle by rescue crews.

The road was closed until about 11am while officers carried out their investigations.

Police believe they have identified the driver, who they say is from Blackburn, and they have spoken to his family.

But further investigations will be made before his identity is made public.

Sergeant Keith Jackson, of the road policing unit, said: "For some reason the vehicle has set on fire.

"The fire brigade attended and we found a body in the front driver's seat.

"We have traced the owner of the vehicle who we believe to have been the driver of the car."

The high number of accidents on the A59 has prompted Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans to launch a campaign asking for road safety improvements.

Anybody with information about the accident can call the police on 01254 353764 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.