A college catering manager from Ashburton had a miraculous escape when her car was skewered by a metal pole as she drove through her employer's main entrance.

It is thought that wind caught the upraised arm of the car park barrier at King Edward VII Community College, sending it straight through Fiona Posner's car windscreen.

The mother-of-two had just seconds to dodge out of the way as the 12ft pole knocked away the steering wheel before spearing a rear door.

Mrs Posner, wife of Ashburton town councillor and former mayor Cllr Mike Posner, escaped with minor cuts and bruises and has spent the week recovering at home.

The accident happened at the main entrance of King Edward VII Community College, Ashburton Road, Totnes, on Monday about 11am.

Mrs Posner, who has worked there for 25 years, was moving from one part of the site to another.

The emergency services were called and watch commander Paul Chambers, leading the fire team, said Mrs Posner had had a lucky escape.

'She must have sat back in her seat

for the pole to go past her. It missed her quite literally by inches,' he said.

By the time firefighters arrived Mrs Posner was out of the car.

They took out the windscreen before they could cut through the steering wheel to remove the pole.

Cllr Posner said his wife was still upset about the incident.

He said: 'It came in through the bottom right-hand quadrant of the windscreen, removing the steering wheel and carried on.

'Fiona, being a small person, was able to jump out of the way. She pushed herself against the door, the pole passed through the passenger seat and embedded itself against the rear passenger door, which effectively is what stopped the vehicle.'

Moments earlier, Mrs Posner had stopped to offer a lift to a colleague who declined.

'It was really rather fortunate because the angle that the pole entered the vehicle would have gone straight through her,' Cllr Posner said.

A school spokesman said that the accident would be investigated and any necessary action would be taken.