14372/4MOTHER-of-two Sarah Gray is disgusted at the drivers who failed to stop when two ponies were running about at the side of a stretch of the A4 known as Death Valley.

Mrs Gray, of Clench Common, was with her husband and two children when they saw two Shetlands near the Highclose Farm Shop between Froxfield and Hungerford.

She said the stretch of the road was once known as Death Valley, and still remains very fast with many drivers overtaking.

The drama happened on Saturday afternoon. Mr and Mrs Gray, who were towing a horse box, stopped with their sons James, 11, and Thomas, nine, to round up the ponies, which had escaped from their field. Efforts to slow down other drivers because of the danger were fruitless, said Mrs Gray.

"We tried to flag them down because of the risk but most drivers simply ignored us. They were swerving around us as we were trying to round up the two ponies."

Only one other driver stopped to help, Mary Lloyd from Froxfield, and between them they were able to catch the ponies and put them in the horse box. The horses were later reunited with their thankful owners Colin and Davina Slater, of Oakhill Farm, Froxfield.