AN elderly New Forest couple have described how they cheated death when gunman Derrick Bird pointed his gun at them before continuing on his shooting spree.

But Second World War veteran Reginald Miller, 87, of West Moors said he felt “ordinary” after discovering his and his wife Kathleen’s narrow escape in last week’s bloodbath in Cumbria.

The couple, of Sarum Avenue, had only set off on foot to see a water mill because of an hour’s wait for a train from Boot, where the killing spree ended with Bird’s suicide.

Unknown to them, at the same time as they were admiring the beautiful Cumbrian scenery, the deranged cabbie had started his campaign of death in nearby Lamplugh.

By the time the Millers saw him – he pulled up in his car next to them as they walked – Bird had already killed all of his 12 victims. He shot and wounded another woman just after the Millers saw him.

Mr Miller said: “It was lucky that he didn’t kill us. We weren’t aware of what was going on.

“I saw the gun in the front of his car. It had telescopic sight and a long barrel.

“At first I thought it could have been a fishing rod but then thought maybe he was going shooting.

“I was not shocked. I just felt ordinary after the event really.

“I was in the Second World War and I think that makes a difference. I wasn’t frightened at all. My wife was a little bit quiet. You know, we did realise the enormity of it but fortunately we were able to take it.”

The couple, who were on a five-day coach holiday, had caught the train from Ravenglass to Boot and had an hour to spend before the return journey.

They love walking so they headed for an old water mill, where they sat down for a while before rejoining the rest of their party at the rail head, where they were due to reboard the Ravenglass narrow gauge railway.

Along their route, Bird pulled up close to them and Mr Miller thought he was going to ask for directions.

He saw the gun in the front of his car.

Mr Miller said: “After Bird stopped he drove off and we carried onto the mill. On the way back we saw a woman frantically waving us down and helicopters in the air. The woman wanted us to take shelter in the restaurant opposite but we wanted to get back to catch the train.

“A woman had been shot in the exact place that Bird had stopped us. We were very lucky that we were not killed.”

Mr Miller said another woman had also had a similar experience as Bird drove through with one hand on the wheel of his car and the other clutching his gun.

He said: “She was very upset. She was in tears. Other people were more shaken up than I was. There were a lot of children there.”

Mr Miller, who served in the Royal Navy during the war and has been married to Kathleen for 63 years, said: “He must have shot that lady while we were walking to the water mill. There but for the grace of God go I.

“I can’t say I feel relieved, but I’m glad it wasn’t us. I’m not ready to go yet.”