Neighbours reported sounds of an explosion after a car went up in flames outside a Wigan home.

What happened to the high-performance Porsche is now the subject of a police investigation following the early hours emergency incident.

It had been parked outside a home in Newhouse Drive, Winstanley, when the fire broke out shortly after 4am on Saturday July 12.

A resident from a nearby street said: “There was an almighty explosion that must’ve woken half of Winstanley up and after it, what sounded like several gunshots.”

A general view of Newhouse Drive, Winstanley, where the car burst into flames

placeholder image — A general view of Newhouse Drive, Winstanley, where the car burst into flames

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “One fire engine from Wigan fire station attended an address in Newhouse Drive, at around 4.15am on July 12.

"One car was on fire on a driveway. Hose reels were used to extinguish the fire and make the surrounding area safe."

They added that two properties were affected slightly by the flames but there had been no injuries sustained.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said that they did not attend the incident at the time, which had been dealt with promptly by the fire service, but had been contacted by the fire service since to look into the cause of the blaze and whether there were any suspicious circumstances surrounding it.

They added that there had been no report to them about any gun fire.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to ring police on 101 or the Crimestoppers line anonymously on 0800 555111.