A CAR fire in March which left a man with severe burns was caused by a fault in the vehicle, an investigation has found.

The man was taken to a specialist hospital burns unit in Sussex after the car burst into flames in Abbeygate Court, near Cassanos, shortly after 9pm on Sunday.

Emergency services had been baffled by the cause of the blaze, but a police spokesman said today: “Following an investigation with the fire service, it appears the fire was caused by a mechanical or electrical fault in the vehicle.

“We are not treating the incident as a crime and the matter has been closed.”

Firefighters arrived on Sunday to find the man, believed to be about 45, lying on the floor injured and unable to speak.

He was taken to Hinchingbrooke Hospital with “serious but not life-threatening” injuries before being transferred to the burns unit at a hospital in East Grinstead.

The police spokesman said the man is now recovering in hospital and has been able to speak to officers.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said paramedics had treated him at the scene for “extensive burns”.

One fire engine from March attended the incident and extinguished the fire using breathing apparatus and two hose reels.