A DURHAM businessman has described how he and his wife narrowly missed being caught up in the Bastille Day horror in the southern French town of Nice.

Richard Turner and his wife Kathy, who run the Old Cinema Launderette, in Durham, crossed the Promenade des Anglais just 15 minutes before a lorry slammed into the crowds and ploughed on for 2km before the driver was shot.

At least 84 people died including children, with witnesses describing how the speeding lorry zigzagged in an apparent attempt to hit more people.

But the Turners, who had left the seafront, were oblivious to the unfolding horror until they arrived at their apartment five blocks away, when friends started messaging them on social media asking him if they were safe.

Still struggling to absorb the horror of what had happened, Mr Turner said this morning: “We were really lucky we were that we weren’t there at that specific time. We watched the media reports at our apartment as the police told everyone to stay in.

“The full enormity hit us this morning when we went down to the main front to pay our respects.

“Part of the promenade is blocked off, where the worst things happened. We could see broken glass and white tents covering things.

“But it was the seeing forensics officer pushing a couple of children’s buggies into the road that really brought it home to us.

“My wife was really distressed. The fact that it was such a big family event, with lots of families with their kids out.”

Mr Turner said he and his wife had gone to Nice for a week’s holiday and intended to stay in France to show solidarity with the French victims.

He said: “We spend a lot of time in Nice. It’s a really cosmopolitan and gorgeous city.

“We made our way down to Promenade des Anglais last night to celebrate Bastille Day with the French people and people of different nationalities.

“There was a big fireworks display which started from 10pm. There were lots of families with their children, all talking different languages.

“There was music along the front. It was a really nice holiday atmosphere.

“As soon as the fireworks stopped we came straight off the beach and walked straight to our apartment which is about five blacks back.

“It was only when when got back to our apartment people started messaging us on social media asking if we were ok.”

Mr Turner said earlier in the evening he had been reflecting how soft a target it was.

He said: “We were in Paris after the shootings there. You would think that was more of a risk. But because it was Bastille Day there were a lot of families about in Nice.”

He added: “We saw a few police around but the security certainly wasn’t heavy. There was traffic running one block back. I don’t how you could guard something like this.”

He described the atmosphere in Nice this morning as “quiet and subdued”.

“There is sobriety and a profound sense of shock, " he said.

"We were going to the Nice Jazz Festival, which has been cancelled. I feel so bad for the families of those who were killed.

“We are going to stay here. We are not going to run away. We want to be at one with the French people in their fight against terror.”