A former Kent barrister has described the moment he pulled the Duke of Edinburgh from the wreckage of his Land Rover after it overturned in a crash.

Roy Warne, 75, who founded, and for many years headed, Stour Chambers in Canterbury, says he looked down to see Prince Philip's blood on his hands after running to his rescue.

The Duke, aged 97, was lucky to escape injury in the accident, which happened near the Queen's Sandringham estate yesterday afternoon.

It involved a Kia car carrying two women, who were treated for minor injuries, and a baby, who was unhurt.

Mr Warne, who lived in Golden Hill, Whitstable before moving to Norfolk, said it looked as if the senior royal had “extraordinarily severe injuries” at first, but he had had an “astonishing escape”.

He said he saw the Duke's Land Rover Freelander rolling across the road - and called him a "very brave man".

The retired barrister was with his wife on their way back from a hospital visit when he saw the crash.

Speaking to ITV News, he said: "It was an astonishing escape for everyone. It looked like it had been extraordinarily severe injuries but fortunately the injuries were very light. People could have been killed."

He checked on the people in the other car involved in the crash first, two women and nine-month-old baby.

"They were extremely upset," he said. "The mother particularly for her baby."

Then he went to the Duke's Land Rover, which had flipped over, and pulled him free.

Mr Warne said: "He's a very brave man. He didn't make a big fuss about it and he went to ask everyone else if they were injured."

Mr Warne described to The Sun newspaper how the Land Rover “came across the A149 like a somersault," adding: "It was turning on its side over and over. It was frightening to see a powerful car rolling like that."

Norfolk Police today revealed the two women in the Kia had been taken to hospital with minor injuries, while the baby was unharmed.

A police spokesman said: “Investigations will continue today into a collision which happened at Sandringham yesterday (Thursday 17 January 2019) afternoon.

“Officers were called to the A149 shortly before 3pm after two cars, a Land Rover and a Kia, were involved in a collision at the junction of the B1439.

'He's a very brave man. He didn't make a big fuss about it and he went to ask everyone else if they were injured' - Roy Warne

“The driver of the Kia, a 28-year-old woman, suffered cuts to her knee while the passenger, a 45-year-old woman, sustained a broken wrist.

"Both casualties were treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn and were discharged last night.

“Police can also confirm a nine-month-old baby boy was in the Kia at the time of the incident and was uninjured.

“The male driver of the Land Rover was uninjured.

“Both drivers were breath tested and provided negative readings.

“As is standard procedure with injury collisions, the incident will be investigated and any appropriate action taken.”

A Buckingham Palace statement read: "The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a road traffic accident with another vehicle this afternoon. The Duke was not injured.

"The accident took place close to the Sandringham Estate. Local police attended the scene."

The crash happened at the Babingley crossroads junction of the B1439 meets the A149 near King's Lynn in Norfolk.