ON Saturday, February 27, in the afternoon, my wife was driving towards Bampton with myself seated in the back seat and my partially sighted disabled mother-in-law in the front.

Just past the Stoodleigh turning, my wife suddenly had to brake hard and swerve to avoid a collision with a red deer crossing the road looking very distressed.

The terrified deer missed the vehicle by about a metre. My wife's quick reaction avoided a very serious accident.

This incident left my wife, my mother-in-law and I very shook up and very cross.

We noticed just along the road several four-wheeled drive vehicles parked, and a motorbike and a rider, right where the incident happened.

We assumed the deer had been driven on to the road.

My wife has travelled this road for well over 40 years and has never seen a deer cross the road in daylight and very rarely at dusk.

Therefore, one can only assume the so-called sport of hunting has now sunk to an all-time low by trying to force deer on to a main road used by numerous vehicles on Saturday afternoons. Your thoughts, readers, please.

PETER MOORE Bickleigh, Tiverton