A reporter from the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald lived life on a knife edge for a few moments when he braved a circus knife thrower.

Andy Davey, who is based at the newspaper's Chippenham office, was sent to write a preview of the Robert Brothers Circus which was visiting the area.

Instead of watching the action from the sidelines, he became the main attraction when he bravely volunteered to stand in for the knife thrower's assistant and have ten inch knives thrown at him.

And freelance photographer David Bunton, who covers the whole of the westcountry for press and PR clients, was on hand to capure the hair-raising moment.

Andy said: "Instead of just watching the knife throwers we wanted to find out what it would be like taking part - and apparently they don't get many volunteers.

"They wound me up beforehand, but he knew what he was doing and I just tried to stay still and resist the urge to run.

"It was pretty scary, but it was all over in ten seconds."

However, Andy was in for a shock when he interviewed the knife thrower afterwards and jokingly asked him if he'd ever had any accidents.

Andy said: "He told me that he had hospitalised his partner three times and hit her in the head, the arm and the leg.

"I'm not sure I'd have been so keen to take part if he had told me that beforehand!"

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