A milkman says he is lucky to be alive after a car smashed into the back of his float.

Frank Robinson instinctively leapt from his vehicle into a nearby garden after hearing a car coming towards him at speed through the mist.

Seconds later the 58-year-old watched as the vehicle thudded into his milk float, sending milk bottles flying across the road towards him.

Mr Robinson, from Coalville, was struck by a piece of glass during the crash, which happened on Leicester Road, near Ravenstone, at around 3.50am on Saturday, and received minor injuries.

He insists he could so easily have died if he had not fled from his vehicle when he did.

He said: "It was misty and it was hard to see anything at all. I was just getting back into my milk float when I heard an engine revving loudly and it sounded like it was getting closer very quickly.

"I just jumped off and tried to run as far from the road as I could but I couldn't see the car coming. As I looked over at the milk float I saw this car smashing into the back of it.

"Bottles went flying and there was quite a lot of damage to both vehicles.

"My first thought was to see if the driver was okay because the front of his car was smashed up, but as I walked over he just reversed and drove off."

It was not until a few minutes later that the severity of the crash dawned upon the milkman of 40 years. He said: "There's no doubt in my mind that if I hadn't run then I would be dead now. I'm lucky to be alive.

"In my career I've seen some scary things, including robbers running out of someone's house, but nothing like this.

"I'm just so glad the road was quiet and there were no other cars otherwise I might not have heard him coming as early as I did."

A police spokeswoman confirmed they were investigating after the driver of the Kia tested positive when breathalysed shortly after.

She said: "The male driver of the car was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary for treatment to his injuries and also gave a positive breath test."