British ambassador to Austria chased through woodland by 'massive' wild boar

Britain’s ambassador to Austria described how he had to flee from a “massive” wild boar as it chased him through woodland in Vienna.

Leigh Turner described how he came across a group of the animals while out walking before an adult boar charged at him in the Austrian capital.

He was forced to scramble to safety up a pile of wet tree trunks, receiving minor injuries in the process.

On his blog, the ambassador said the boar did not catch up with him as he fled through he Lainzer Tiergarten nature park.

In the post published on Monday, Mr Turner shared a photo of what he calls a “pity-inducing splint” on his hand.

“A couple of the adults started, obviously disturbed by my arrival.

"I remembered that in this situation you were supposed to avoid alarming the animals. So I began, slowly, to walk away from the group,” he wrote.

“It was at this point at I heard the thundering sound behind me and turned to discover I was in a dangerous situation.

"Not having prior experience of boar attacks, I ran, seeking refuge.

"A pile of tree-trunks looked easier for me to climb than for the boar; I attempted to scale it and slipped on the wet wood, scratching and bruising myself in multiple locations as I scrambled to a place of safety.”