A car was engulfed in flames – after an explosion – in the busy central Dam square in Amsterdam at midday on Thursday.

Police authorities in the Dutch capital said the driver of the car was suspected of deliberately causing the fire.

Images on social media show a man with clothes on fire moving near the small red car, which has been consigned to the flames. Officers at the scene attempted to put out the man’s fire before finally arresting him.

They subsequently cordoned off much of the square, with fire investigators going to the scene and investigating the car to determine the cause of the fire.