A MAN has died after a freak accident during a mock joust for the television programme Time Team, it has emerged. Paul Allen, 54, was involved in the joust when a lance splintered his eye after entering the eye-slit of his helmet. Mr Allen, of Heydon, w

A MAN has died after a freak accident during a mock joust for the television programme Time Team, it has emerged.

Paul Allen, 54, was involved in the joust when a lance splintered his eye after entering the eye-slit of his helmet.

Mr Allen, of Heydon, was involved in the mock joust at Rockingham Castle for the programme.

The accident it being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive, but is not believed to be the subject of a police inquiry.

Mr Allen died after undergoing an emergency operation in a hospital in Coventry.

Channel 4 said: "The professional company of historical enactors has an excellent safety record and took all the appropriate and necessary precautions and it does sadly appear that this was a tragic freak accident."

Mr Allen, a former history teacher, had a passion for ancient times and was involved in enactments of the Vikings, the Saxons, the Egyptians and the Greeks.

He was a regular visitor to a number of schools in the Royston area where he appeared in the appropriate costume and gave talks on ancient history as well as getting pupils involved in role playing.