Three disabled children and their carer had a narrow escape in a hit-and-run incident which left their vehicle a write off.

The youngsters from Marlborough School, Woodstock, were left shaken and tearful after the crash on the Woodstock to Charlbury road at 3.30pm on Wednesday.

The specially adapted Peugeot Boxer van driven by Martin Burton, 38, was hit by a red pick-up truck carrying a cement mixer coming the opposite way. The truck also forced the car following the Boxer off the road.

The car's driver turned round to follow the vehicle but was unable to take a registration number.

Mr Burton works for Watlington-based Transport Unlimited which specialises in providing transport for the disabled.

He said: "If I had just been two seconds later it would have been head-on. I am trying not to go over what could have happened.

"The truck must have been going at about 60mph and smashed along my side and just kept going. I am so cross someone can do that sort of thing. This is a brand new vehicle that has been written off but that does not matter as long as the kids are OK. They were quite upset and in tears but they had their carer to look after them," he said.

The joint owner of Transport Unlimited, Mark Southgate, said: "It's absolutely clear that the vehicle carried disabled people and I cannot credit that anybody would drive off after a collision like that. It's touch and go if it is a write off," he said. One of the children was strapped in with a seat belt while the other two were in wheelchairs with special restraints.

"Martin knows the road well as he has down the trip from Woodstock to Charlbury and then onto to Banbury for a year. All our drivers go on police defensive driving courses. If you went out and ordered one of these vehicles it would cost in the region of £21,000," said Mr Southgate.

Pc Colin Robey, from Chipping Norton police Station, said: "The driver of the pick-up will have been well aware of the collision. There will be damage to the front and side of his vehicle. The truck was coming from the Charlbury direction so the driver may have been working round there."

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