A FAMILY had a lucky escape after an unusual experience at Belhaven Bay.

The family had gone to the coastal beauty spot shortly before 7pm on May 5 for a walk.

However, stormy weather saw their hair stand up on end, with later research revealing they were potentially at risk of being struck by lightning.

The mum said: “We were just out on our usual dog walk and crossed the bridge onto the sands. The sky looked like there was rain in the distance and we wondered how much were we going to get to walk, maybe 10-15 minutes, before the rain.”

The sky quickly darkened and shortly before hailstones arrived they noticed something unusual.

The mum said: “My daughter said: ‘What happened to your hair?’ As I turned to answer her, I saw her hair was up high and I said: ‘What’s happened to your hair, it’s all really sticking up?’ Mine was doing the same.”

After returning from the evening walk, the mum started looking into what could have caused their hair to stand on end – and it turned out they could have been struck by lightning.

According to a Government website: “If your hair stands on end, lightning is about to strike you.

“Drop to your knees and bend forward but don’t lie flat on the ground. Wet ground is a good conductor of electricity.”