A woman thrown from her horse came within inches of being hit by a passing lorry, writes Stephen Deal.

Clara Lovell was thrown from the animal as the first of two lorries drove past her on the narrow B4001 at Childrey, near Wantage, on Saturday lunchtime.

The noise of the lorry startled the six-year-old mare Mrs Lovell was riding and it slipped as it whipped round onto a grass bank, falling on top of the 43-year-old.

As the experienced rider fell on to the road, the lorry driver swerved onto the grass verge to avoid her - narrowly missing her head. Speaking from her home in Sarajac Avenue, East Challow, Mrs Lovell, who was left shocked and bruised, said: "I am lucky to be alive. He (the driver) had to swerve up the bank to miss my head.

"I could literally hear his wheels and thought 'This is it'."

She had been out riding with a friend when the two removal lorries approached them from the opposite direction.

Both said that, although the lorry drivers were travelling within the 30mph limit, they should have slowed down further after seeing the two horses.

The horse escaped serious injury.

Story date: Monday 17 May

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