A HEADTEACHER was injured, but not seriously, when a stag smashed into his car.

Ian Priddle, 52, head of Platts Heath Primary School, near Maidstone, had just left his home in Tunbridge Wells when the incident occurred.

He was travelling at around 40mph down Bayham Road near the ruins of Bayham Abbey towards Lamberhurst when the adult stag suddenly emerged.

Mr Priddle, married with two children, said: "This massive stag lunged out from the tress and down from a bank at the side of the road. I had no chance.

"There was a huge bang. It was quite unnerving. It was over in the blink of an eye but I can still picture this image of the stag and hear the noise as it hit the car."

The bonnet of his Peugeot 406 was mangled with the antlers of the stricken beast smashing through the front passenger seat window.

Another motorist helped him to drag the dying animal to the side of the road after Tuesday's incident.

Mr Priddle said: "My doctor told me I had soft tissue damage and my spine was tender. It could have been a lot worse."

He is now considering approaching Tunbridge Wells Borough Council about erecting new fences to prevent deer from crossing the road.