A horse rider is pleading with motorists to slow down after a spate of near accidents in Stockbury.

Samantha Nathan, who regularly takes her mare Solo for a trot near its stables in Pett Lane, is desperate to put the brakes on drivers before tragedy strikes.

She said a recent altercation with a fellow road user was typical of the menace she and her beloved horse are increasingly having to face.

Miss Nathan, 31, said: “Drivers are going too fast and not seeing us until it’s almost too late.

“Last week a motorist got out of his car, shouting and swearing at us, because he had to reverse to let us pass.

“He was really aggressive and it was quite frightening so we quickly got out of the way.”

Miss Nathan, a veterinary nurse at the Borden Lane surgery, said the quiet, leafy lanes around Hucking and Bicknor are not only a convenient exercise track for horse and rider.

The roads are a haven for dog walkers and cyclists who she fears are also in danger.

She said: “I’m always dressed appropriately in hi-vis jackets when I take the horse out, so it would be nice if people could drive appropriately.

“But too often, drivers using the lane as a cut-through are slamming on the brakes when they see us and it’s taking too long for them to stop.

“It’s especially bad when it’s muddy and there are a few blind bends along the road.”