THE mystery three BT engineers who went to the rescue of an elderly Exbourne farmer have been named this week. The story was in last week's edition of the Times.

Violet Prince, aged 83, was badly injured and left unable to get to the phone to call for help, after being attacked by a ram from her flock of Dorset sheep.

Her Tor View Farm is quite remote and her life could well have been in danger had it not been for a stroke of luck.

By chance three telephone engineers from BT, Pete Pryce, Ian West and Paul Andrew (known as Archie), were in the area connecting fibre optic cables to villages between Okehampton and Hatherleigh.

Pete and Ian were working on a box unit about 50 yards away from the house and Archie went to turn the van around in the farm driveway.

Pete said: 'Archie saw the lady sitting down and frantically waving to him from about 30 yards so he got out and she said she had hurt herself. She was in a bit of pain but she was a tough old girl.

'Archie was the real hero because he rounded up the sheep into the field and dealt with the ram.

'We put a BT jacket around Violet to keep her warm and Ian phoned for the ambulance. The paramedic was there in minutes — we didn't expect him to be so quick, he was really good.

'We are just pleased that Violet is making a recovery.'

An ambulance took Violet to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in Exeter, where she was given a new hip and is now recovering.