A PONY ran into the path of a car and was killed when it was spooked by fireworks.

       Archer, just 18 months old, was hit head-on in a country lane.

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       Archer, just 18 months old, was hit head-on in a country lane in the New Forest Credit: Solent

       The car was written off and the driver also suffered minor injuries.

       Owner Claire Willard arrived as Archer’s bloodied body was being loaded on to a truck.

       She said: “He was such a cheeky, mischievous little character that he was easy to fall in love with.”

       The incident happened near Marchwood in the New Forest. Archer, who stood just 12 hands, was found loose by a driver who stopped to calm him.

       But another firework went off and he fled into the path of a passing car.

       Now Ms Willard, 47, of Southampton, Hants, is campaigning against the private sale of fireworks.

       The warehouse manager said: “Are five minutes of whizzes, flashes and bangs worth it?”

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