A trainee reporter became embroiled in a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan after taking time out from preparing for her senior exams.

Lucy Tatchell, left, a reporter with the Worcester News since October 2007, was in the Middle East to see first hand the work of the 2nd Battalion Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters).

While out on patrol with the Mercians and the Afghan National Army, the group was ambushed twice, first in a 45-minute fire fight closely followed by second attack as they continued their journey.

Lucy, 26, told HTFP: “Funnily enough not many people understand it when I say I felt very safe.

“We were in an armoured truck and had body armour and helmets on so felt quite protected from it.

“We were supposed to be on foot patrol. But when what they call the ‘atmospherics’ started to change, such as local people running away from us rather than just waving, they called off the foot patrol.

“If we’d been on foot when it happened it might have been very different.”

During the fire fight Lucy was hunkered down in the armoured truck as bullet casings flew around her head while the Mercians fired 256 grenades, 400 rounds from their machine guns, two rocket-propelled grenades and called in air support.

Within minutes of restoring some sort of peace they came under attack again as four Taliban soldiers opened fire from a car.

The soldiers later told Lucy they believed the Taliban was planning to speed ahead of them to lay a bomb in their tracks.

Lucy, shortlisted twice in next week’s Midlands Media Awards, added: “The Taliban had smaller arms such as guns. If they’d had rocket propelled launchers or grenades they could have done some damage.

“The soldiers said it was a normal day in the office. Hopefully, I will be able to use some of the stories I wrote in my National Certificate Exams next month.”