A MAN pulled from the wreck of his car moments before it went up in flames has spoken of his ordeal.

Injured and unable to move, Bishop’s Waltham man John Scanlan knew he was in trouble as flames from another car got closer to his own.

Luckily for John, at least two of the four men who dragged him clear seconds before the vehicle was engulfed in fire, were experienced hands.

“I just saw very bright lights and then bang! And I was looking at lots of airbags.

“Sat there with a fire alongside you and you cannot move because you’re injured and you can’t get out of the door. I knew what was going on around me and I was frightened.

“I could not have been luckier than I was to have those people around me,” said 49-year-old Mr Scanlon, of Avenue Court.

One of his rescuers, Tony Higham, a retired Commander with 38 years’ service was responsible for Royal Navy fire-fighting. Another of the rescuers was an off-duty police officer.

Mr Scanlan said: “Tony said sorry if it hurt – which it did!

“I just want to thank Tony and the all the emergency services involved and the other members of the public who got me out.”

Speaking after the incident, Mr Higham, from Hambledon, said: “We could hear the burning and I could feel my right buttock getting a bit hot.

“But we were focussed on getting this chap out. It seemed to take forever, but it was probably only five to 10 minutes. The car was engulfed in flames as we got him out. It was pretty warm; you could feel the heat.”

Christine Scanlan said: “He would have gone up (in flames) as well if that man hadn’t helped him.”

Mr Scanlan was badly cut on his arm and knee, and also broke his left hand. But he said the incident has not changed his outlook on life.

“It’s just knuckle down and carry one,” he said.