A LLYN man who abandoned plans to go and watch fireworks in Nice said he was "lucky" to avoid being caught up in the terror attack which killed at least 84 people.

John Smith, from Abersoch, was out having dinner in the town on the evening of Thursday, 14 July, but decided to not go and watch the firework display which was being held to mark Bastille Day, which is the country’s national holiday.

At around 11pm on the Promenade des Anglais a man driving a lorry ploughed into a crowd of people and continued to hit more as he carried on driving for almost over a mile until he was shot dead by police officers.

John, who is currently working in the catering industry in France, said: “We were lucky; we could have easily stayed out for a bit longer.

“I was only having dinner in a place which is a 10-minute walk away from where the attack happened and it was only when we were walking back we changed our minds about going to the firework display but there were crowds of people heading there as we were walking home.”

Witnesses at the scene describe how they saw the speeding lorry swerving and zigzagging in an apparent attempt to hit more people.

Police reportedly found guns and grenades inside the lorry.

A state of emergency, in place since November’s Paris attacks, carried out by militants from the Islamic State group, in which 130 people died, has now been extended by three months.

John says the threat of terrorism now feels very real.

He said: “We have not been able to go into the town today and all the shops are shut so there are no suppliers working. They all have families and children so who knows where they were last night.

“What’s happened has made the threat of terrorism all the more real to me.”