It was a one-in-a-million chance that the animal suddenly turned and charged

Victim's son

Mr James, 70, underwent an emergency three-hour operation at Withybush Hospital in nearby Haverfordwest.

Doctors said he was lucky to be alive because the horn missed vital organs by inches.

He is expected to be fit enough to return home by Tuesday. But Mr James told his family the incident would not put him off the animals.

'Battering'

His son Stephen, 40, said: "My father suffered severe cuts and his stomach muscles took a battering but he was extremely lucky to escape worse injury.

"He's a tough old thing and is usually on the farm at 7am to feed the lambs.

"But he told us he'll be back at work as soon as he leaves hospital."

Father-of-two Mr James retired as a full-time farmer but still helps out on the family holding at Clynderwen, west Wales.

Emergency operation

He was attacked when he got out of his car to help shepherd the horned Welsh Black bull back into its field at Robeston Wathen.

Stephen James said: "There were half a dozen other drivers stopped when the bull was wandering around the road.

"My father has worked with cattle and livestock all his life - he felt perfectly happy to try to usher it back into its field.

"But it was a one-in-a-million chance that the animal suddenly turned and charged."

'Badly gored'

Health and Safety experts are now investigating the incident.

A spokesman for Dyfed Powys Police said: "A number of drivers were trying to get the bull off the road when it charged.

"The man's injuries are very serious - he was badly gored in the stomach."

The bull which belonged to a local farmer, was later destroyed by a police marksman.

Local vet Phillip Linge was called to the scene to make sure the bull was humanely killed.