VINTAGE car enthusiast Alan McTavish said he could not believe how unlucky he was after his recently purchased Roll-Royce ended up on its roof along the A350 near Trowbridge just hours after he had picked it up.

The 66-year-old was transporting the vintage blue and grey vehicle on a car trailer, which was attached to his Toyota Rav4, along the A350 near the Stoney Gutter crossroads at around 4pm on Saturday.

He was taking the vehicle to Spain for a classic car rally and was just four miles into his trip when the trailer began snaking side to side and his tow vehicle ended up on its roof.

Luckily, the road was empty at the time of the incident and no one was hurt, but the accident resulted in the stretch of road being closed for more than three hours.

“We were towing the car to Spain for a classic car rally. I agreed to buy the car in February and had just picked it up a couple of hours before the accident,” said Mr McTavish, who previously lived in Holt before moving to L’Ametlla de Mar, Tarragona, in Spain.

Mr McTavish said he was due to catch the ferry on Sunday night with his wife, but his departure has been delayed by the accident and problems with his insurance claim for the car.

“We were supposed to catch the ferry on Sunday night, but because of the hassle of the insurance claim for the tow car we are still in the UK, moving between hotels and friends,” said Mr McTavish.

“We are in the process of moving to Spain on the Costa Daurada, so I need to get down there soon to consult with the builders.

“It turns out the Rolls-Royce was uninsured, but we are getting it back from Fry’s and will strip what we can to get some money back. There is also the thought that we may be able to locate a new body shell and re-build it.”

Wiltshire Police said officers were called to the incident on the A350 between Semington and Ashton Common at 4.07pm on June 14, following a report of a road traffic collision involving a black Toyota Rav4 estate, which was towing a trailer carrying a Rolls-Royce.

A police spokesman said: “Nobody was injured as a result and a road closure was put in place while the scene was cleared, diverting traffic to Steeple Ashton. Highways were called to attend the scene as there was a strong smell of petrol and the road was cleared shortly before 7pm.”