A Vauxhall Zafira caught fire near a level crossing just days after the manufacturer began writing to 220,000 owners telling them to have their car inspected.

The vehicle burst into flames near North Sheen station, south-west London. There were no reports of any injuries.

Vauxhall is contacting 220,000 Zafira B owners after almost 200 of the models were reported to have caught fire.

Scottish accents are ‘flourishing’

The Scots accent is changing but still remains “very distinctive”, researchers have found.

While regional accents in England are morphing into a “more homogenised anglicised accent”, academics at Glasgow University found Scots accents “are actually flourishing”.

The Glasgow University Laboratory of Phonetics (Gulp), said the study, which involved audio recordings from across the decades being analysed, found common changes – such as the use of “f” instead of “th” in words such as think – have altered accents across the UK, including in Scotland.

Heritage site homes at premium

Homes located near a World Heritage Site command a premium of £78,000 on average, new research suggests.

While the average residential property is valued at £284,000, those near a site with Unesco status are valued at £362,000 – a difference of 27%. The research, by website Zoopla, found that the Orkney Islands are the UK’s most affordable World Heritage Site near which to buy a property, with homes close to the series of Neolithic monuments in the remote location currently costing an average of £130,169.

Manure gas plan no hogwash

Manure from about two million hogs will be converted into renewable natural gas and sold by summer 2016, supporters of a biogas project taking shape in northern Missouri have announced. They also say the project will keep tons of methane out of the atmosphere.

The joint venture between Roeslein Alternative Energy and Smithfield Food Hogs Production has an estimated $120 million price tag and is one of the largest biogas projects of its kind.

Around half of the 88 existing manure lagoons on nine Smithfield farms are already enclosed by impermeable covers, which will produce biogas to be cleaned and used as an alternative energy.

Deer ends up in back seat of car

A Dallas-area driver found himself with an unexpected passenger when a deer smashed through his windshield and ended up in the back seat of his car.

Christopher Coleman, of Frisco, was not hurt but the deer died in the accident on the Sam Rayburn Tollway in Plano on Wednesday.

Mr Coleman said he briefly admired the deer on the side of the road then heard a bang as the windshield broke and the animal entered his car at high speed. The deer ended up wedged behind the driver’s seat. Mr Coleman added he was freaked out by the deer in his car, is amazed he was not injured and is just happy to be alive.

Extra-long marathon

An error by race organisers has made Bangkok home to the world’s longest half-marathon.

Instead of the typical 21-kilometre (13-mile) run through the Thai capital, the Standard Chartered Bangkok Marathon on Sunday accidentally extended its annual half-marathon to nearly 28 kilometres (17 miles). The bonus came as a surprise to runners, who unleashed a tirade of complaints on social media after the event.

The race organisers, the Jogging Association of Thailand and private promoter Amazing Field have not said anything publicly about the error. But the Athletic Association of Thailand, which oversees athletics events in the country, called it a “technical error”.

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