Americans start fire with vacuum cleaner and petrol (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Americans start fire with vacuum cleaner and petrol

9:00am Friday 1st October 2004

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TWO American tourists set fire to a vacuum cleaner at a service station after trying to remove petrol from their fuel tank.

Twickenham fire brigade were called to the scene in Richmond Road, Twickenham, at 5.10pm on Saturday.

It emerged that the Americans had hired a diesel car but had filled it with petrol. They then asked the garage staff to help them remove the diesel from the tank and were told they shouldn't.

Ignoring the warning, it appears the couple attempted to remove the fuel using a vacuum cleaner. There were reports of a bang and then a fire broke out in the machine.

When the fire brigade arrived, the blaze had been put out by staff and members of the public using foam extinguishers.

It was mainly fuel that was ignited and the fire investigation unit attended the scene. No one was injured. The fire brigade left the scene at 6.15pm.

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