A DRIVER has thanked marshals who came to his aid after he crashed his car in a hill climb at the weekend.

Peter Tomlinson was competing on Saturday in the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb, the nostalgic event in the Teme Valley north of Bromyard that is open to any pre-1980 classic car.

His clipped the edge of one of the S-bends on the track, lost control and crashed into the safety barrier, whereupon marshals rushed to help.

His MGC roadster was left perched precariously atop the barrier.

Ironically, the event had an official Italian Job theme this weekend. The classic British thriller ends in an iconic scene in which a coach is left balancing precariously on the edge of a precipice.

Hereford Times:

Mr Tomlinson's classic MGC was left perched on crash barriers

Fortunately, Mr Tomlinson suffered only severe bruising and a dented car.

He said: "Unfortunately I lost control and ended up perched across the barriers.

"The action by safety crews and medical staff was instantaneous and I couldn’t have been looked after better."

Gary Hall, general manager of Shelsley Walsh, said: “I was delighted to welcome Peter back to our world-renowned venue however I hadn’t expected the day to work out as it did.

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"Famous names such as Campbell and Segrave, John Surtees and Sir Stirling Moss have all hurtled up our famous 1,000-yard, one-in-six gradient track.

"Motor sport does, of course, have its dangers, but our qualified and professional staff are always on hand as safety is our top priority and we are very glad that Peter came out of it relatively unscathed."

Mr Tomlinson, the creator and ex-presenter of hit children’s morning TV show Tiswas, is chairman of Worcestershire County Council. He lives in Lineholt, Ombersley, Worcestershire.