A lucky driver came within an inch of death when a high-powered bullet grazed his neck.

The terrifying incident happened on Wednesday, December 12 while a man was chatting in his car with two friends in a rural road near Hailsham.

Suddenly there was a loud bang and the driver’s window shattered. Terrified, the three friends piled out of the car and ducked for cover.

After a few minutes, they plucked up the courage to get back in the vehicle where they found an impact mark to the corner of the windscreen.

The driver then realised he had a burn injury to his neck where the bullet had skimmed past.

In the passenger footwell was a spent 0.243 bullet, the type used to hunt game.

Police believe the shot was fired by a deer hunter or poacher and was not a deliberate act.

Long range

Arron Wells, a licensed deerstalker from Ringmer, said there were many people shooting high-powered rifles in the Sussex countryside without proper regard for safety.

He said: “There are certainly people out there shooting without a licence and it’s incredibly dangerous.

“When I go out I need to make sure no one is close enough to be hurt.

“These guns have a killing range of up to a mile and it looks like someone has been blazing away without thinking about what they’re doing.

“But unfortunately this is incredibly difficult to control.”

PC Katie Price said: “This man had a really lucky escape and we want to trace anyone known to be shooting in the area such as deer-stalkers – the bullet found is of the type used for deer-hunting.

“We don’t believe this was a deliberate act, more likely a misdirected shot by hunters or poachers, but it was clearly dangerous and we need to find the shooter. If you have any information that would help, please call us on 101 quoting serial 1593 of 12/12.”

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