A court has heard it was 'fortunate' a motorist escaped serious injury when wooden planks fell from the back of a van and into a car windscreen.

A black Ford Focus travelling along Norwich Road, Little Plumstead, was 'struck on the front windscreen by some wooden boards falling off the rear of a Ford Transit.'

Waseem Raja, prosecuting, at Norwich Magistrates Court said the Transit was being driven by David Snowling who heard a 'large banging noise'.

That prompted the defendant to look and he saw wood 'bouncing along the road'.

He had not been aware it was his at that point and stopped his vehicle before being told by another motorist what had happened.

Mr Raja said it was 'fortunate there wasn't serious injury'.

He said: 'It was quite serious but fortunately didn't result in any injuries.'

Mr Raja said the prosecution accepted the defendant had made efforts to ensure that the goods he was carrying did not fall from his vehicle.

He said: 'We would say there's no doubt the defendant took measures to secure the load but what was done was not adequate for the job. We're not saying the defendant made deliberate attempts not to secure them, its just the way they were secured was not suitable.'

Mr Snowling, of Shack Lane, Blofield, who represented himself in court on Monday (January 21), pleaded guilty to an offence of using a vehicle/trailer with danger of injury due to weight/position/distribution/security of load on July 6 last year.

Snowling said took 'full responsibility' but insisted he had not been 'reckless'.

He said he had secured the load with a rope, as he had been doing since the late 1980s, and had been 'no issue before' when he had done it.

He told the court that he was 'mortified' at what had happened.

Snowling conceded that 'it must've been a shock for the driver'.

City magistrates fined Snowling £460 for the offence.

They also ordered him to pay £100 costs and a £46 victim surcharge.

In addition, Snowling has his driving license endorsed with three penalty points for the offence.