Milk was the biggest hazard facing firefighters when they tackled a fire in the cab of a lorry.

The driver of the ERF articulated lorry, from London, had to pull over when smoke began to fill the cab.

Quick action by firefighters stopped the lorry fire from becoming an environmental hazard

Two fire engines from Witney and the fire service's special environmental protection unit were called to the fire at 1.19pm on the B4022 Newland, near its junction with Pensclose, in Witney. The road was closed for about 20 minutes.

Station officer Steve Fletcher, of Witney fire station, said: "We were concerned it was going to get to the load itself, which was milk.

"Milk is more of an environmental hazard than other things when it gets into the water course.

"It's like a biohazard. It causes all sorts of problems to the natural bacteria.

"If it gets into the storm drains, it will get into the river and that causes the problem."

The environmental protection unit carried absorbent powders in case milk spilled into the road and other equipment to block storm drains.

Firefighters wearing breathing equipment quickly contained the fire in the lorry cab averting environmental problems. They were at the scene for just over an hour. The lorry driver was uninjured.

Mr Fletcher said: "We have put it down to being an electrical fire starting under the dashboard.

"When we arrived the whole of the cab was well-alight and filling the whole area with black acrid-smelling smoke."