A TEENAGER who saw the car ablaze on Basingstoke's Hatch Warren Retail Park has spoken exclusively to The Gazette about the drama he witnessed.

The 14-year-old and a group of friends were walking near the A30, on their way to Gabriel Park, when they saw smoke coming from the car park at the rear of the Argos store.

He said one of the group recorded the incident on his video phone.

"We went over to have a look and heard four loud pops and then another four loud bangs," said the teenager.

"I think the pops were the tyres of the car bursting but we have no idea what the other noises were.

"We got to the bushes above the car park and saw the car. It was well on fire when I got there and all we could see were flames and smoke.

"About 10 seconds after we got there, the fire brigade arrived, put it out and placed a sheet over the car.

"We didn't really think anything of it at the time. I just thought someone had torched a car.

"It is weird to think there was someone in there."

The boy added that the group had been interviewed by police and the video phone had been confiscated.

Dog walker Alan Purvis, of Heritage Park, said he was in the area behind the retail park with his dogs when the incident occurred.

"It was just like something out of Kojak," he said.

"I could hear the sirens of the police, fire brigade and ambulances and I saw all the lights, but I had no idea what was going on."