Explosions heard as car burns in Sunderland supermarket car park

Emergency services were called to the Lidl store in North Hylton Road last night, Monday, December 12.

One woman who lives nearby said she had been in bed when she heard a series of bangs but had not realised what the noise was at first: “I thought it was somebody knocking on the door, so I just ignored it,” she said.

"But it woke my daughter and she came to get me.”

She had not been able to see what had happened but from her home: “I did not know whether it was a car or the shop itself,” she said.

"It woke my daughter”

A Northumbria Police spokesperson confirmed officers had been called to the store’s car park and an investigation was under way into the cause of the fire: “At about 10pm yesterday, Monday, officers were alerted to a vehicle fire in the car park of Lidl on North Hylton Road, Sunderland.

“Emergency services attended and found a car that was burnt out, with the occupants having already left the scene.

“Thankfully nobody is believed to have been injured. Enquiries are ongoing with the fire service to establish the full circumstances surrounding the blaze.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20221212-0937.”

A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said the service had sent two crews to the scene from local stations, who had arrived within minutes of the call and extinguished the fire within half an hour of arrival: "Yesterday evening, Monday 12, just before 10:30pm, we received a call about a car fire on North Hylton Road in Sunderland,” she said.

On scene in ‘just five minutes’

"Two crews, one from Marley Park and one from Sunderland Central Community Fire Stations, were on scene in just five minutes to begin extinguishing the blaze in a car park.

"The occupants had left the scene before our firefighters arrived and no one is believed to be injured.

"Our crews extinguished the fire and left the scene at 11:04pm."