A fisherman escaped being crushed to death by a falling 50ft tree on his birthday - by moving from his favourite angling spot just seconds earlier.

The enormous ash tree crashed down in the exact place 70-year-old Albert Lovegrove had been fishing before he decided to try his luck further along the riverbank.

Mr Lovegrove, of Oxford's Northway estate, said: "I had the shock of my life. I really thought that was it - it was almost the shortest birthday ever."

Mr Lovegrove regularly fishes at the spot, near The Perch Inn in Binsey but has never encountered problems there before.

He said: "It's usually a lovely spot, it's a really beautiful place to fish.

"But I heard a crack and then things happened in slow motion.

"The next thing I knew I was surrounded by branches, with this huge tree right next to me.

"If I had not moved when I did, that would have been the end of me. I was terrified and won't repeat what I said."

There were a number of people walking along the river when the tree clattered down last Thursday and Mr Lovegrove says it came as quite a shock to them.

He said: "No-one could believe their eyes. They couldn't believe such a huge tree had come down - and they couldn't believe I was unharmed."

Mr Lovegrove said the near-miss would not deter him from returning to the river but it did take him some time to retrieve his fishing tackle, which was caught under the tree.

Mr Lovegrove's neighbour, Betty Fletcher, said: "It obviously wasn't Albert's time to go. He always gets so excited about his fishing.

"I don't think even this will put him off. Thank God he's OK."