THE driver of a sports car came within inches of being killed or seriously injured when a tree fell in the high winds on to the front of his car in Turnpike Lane, Ickleford earlier today. Seconds behind was a school bus belonging to Chambers Coaches on it

THE driver of a sports car came within inches of being killed or seriously injured when a tree fell in the high winds on to the front of his car in Turnpike Lane, Ickleford earlier today.

Seconds behind was a school bus belonging to Chambers Coaches on its way to pick up pupils on their way to John Henry Newman School in Stevenage.

"Two seconds later and the driver would have been killed. The tree, even though it was rotten, was heavy and would have gone through the soft top but probably just bounced off my coach," said coach driver Mike Green, from Grace Way, Stevenage, who has been driving for Chambers Coaches for 10 years.

"As I came round the bend I saw a blur and wondered what it was and then saw a tree had hit a car. I go out of my coach and went to see how the driver was. He was so lucky he didn't even need an ambulance.

"A few of us got stuck in and cleared the road but it was a miracle the driver of the sports car never even suffered a scratch."

Mr Green was helped clear the debris by Nick Jones, owner of Ickleford Stores and a number of other residents.