A PENSIONER had a lucky escape when a classic motorcycle he was restoring burst into flames at his Radcliffe home.

Eddie Riley, aged 79, had spent seven months restoring the 1985 BMW 800 bike and was starting it up for the first time when the blaze broke out in Bull Hill Crescent on Monday afternoon.

The retired Merchant Navy engineer escaped unhurt, but the vehicle was completely destroyed and the detached garage suffered severe fire damage.

Mr Riley, who has lived in Radcliffe with his wife, Joyce, for 16 years, said: "I have been restoring the bike for the last seven months and when I finally came to start the engine, it went up in flames.

"I got it from a friend of mine who gave it to me to restore. I was a keen motorcyclist years ago and this was a nice little project for me.

"I was leaning over the bike and had just pressed the starter button.

"The engine fired and then it just burst up in flames.

"Then I just got out of there as quickly as I could, I slammed the door shut and phoned the fire brigade.

"I wasn't injured at all, I'm okay.

"The neighbours all came around to see if we were alright after they saw the smoke, and then two fire engines arrived to put it out."

Among the other items damaged in the garage were an air compressor and a petrol generator.

Crew manager Paul Mills, from Whitefield fire station, said the bike was destroyed in the blaze.

He said: "We were called to a garage fire in Bull Hill Crescent, Radcliffe, at 2.20pm.

"The fire was caused by a fault in a vintage motorcycle, which set alight when the owner started it up following some work he had been carrying out.

"The motorbike was destroyed and other items within the garage were also damaged. The roof and doors of the garage will have to be replaced."