Peterborough barman avoids being blasted in face by ale

This barman avoided a brush with death after a beer keg exploded just inches away from his face.

Jack Wills was changing barrels in the cellar of the Charters Bar when the beer stopper in a keg at eye-level rocketed out, spurting beer violently across the room.

He jumps back away from the keg, the 22-year-old screamed ‘what the f***?’

Mr Wills, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, then tried desperately to stem the flow of beer out from the keg by covering the hole with his hands.

All of a sudden the stopper of the keg shoots off and sprays across the room

Then the manager comes to help Mr Wills, but as they try to hammer the keystone back in they are both spurted with beer.  

Mr Wills said: ‘What we think happened was that the keystone in the barrel was not secured correctly by the brewery, and therefore shot off. It could have actually been quite dangerous if it hit someone in the head.

‘I think in the video you can see me scream and then yell ‘What the f***’. I wasn’t really thinking of anything as I was a bit shocked.

‘I’ve worked in hospitality for a few years now and when I was first trained it was drilled into my head that if this did happen I must stop the beer flooding the cellar immediately. I was then told that it would most likely never happen.’

Mr Wills is then forced to cover up the hole using his hand until his manager Adi comes and helps him

Social media users were quick to comment on the unfortunate event.

Liv Rose River Hope said: ‘That’s pretty funny.’

Brendan Boyle added: ‘If only we had audio.’

Anastasia Asbury commented: ‘Omg i’d cry.’

Joel Robert added: ‘The reaction just says it all.’

Robert Beaton joked: ‘Get a glass quick you are wasting beer.’

While Anthony McClennan said simply: ‘Brilliant.’