FIREFIGHTERS wearing water backpacks hitched a lift in a police van to reach a burning vehicle abandoned in a Shipley wood last night.

The Daewoo Matiz had been driven up an access road into the middle of Northcliffe Woods before being set alight.

The burning vehicle was surrounded by trees and close to some allotments.

Police alerted firefighters from Shipley at around 10.30pm last night after smoke was spotted.

Firefighters could not get their vehicle up the narrow road so had to hitch a lift with police to tackle it, said a Shipley fire spokesman.

The car was destroyed and will have to be removed. Luckily the surrounding area was not damaged.