TWO police officers managed to escape their armed vehicle before it caught fire on the hard shoulder of the A2.

The armed response vehicle was attending a call at 5.15pm on Thursday when the driver noticed problems with the car.

He pulled over onto the hard shoulder just after the Wilmington turning on the London-bound carriageway.

The vehicle caught fire just after the driver and another officer travelling in the car removed all the equipment.

Three lanes of the road were closed for a short time while firefighters put the blaze out. It reopened just before 6pm.

Nobody was injured.