Circus acrobat injured in human cannonball stunt in Caerphilly

The accident happened during a daredevil stunt in Caerphilly county

A circus acrobat has suffered potentially life-changing injuries after missing a safety net during a "human cannonball" stunt.

The 28-year-old man was taken to hospital from an event in Llanbradach, Caerphilly county, at about 18:15 BST on 29 June, Gwent Police said.

Phone footage shows the performer, dressed as Captain America, crashing into a metal barrier.

Uncle Sam's American Circus said he would "make a full recovery over time".

Footage showed the man being shot out of a cannon, missing a safety net and crashing into a metal rail on the perimeter.

"He was out cold on the floor," said audience member Cherokee Jones.

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"The show went into an early interval stating they needed to seek medical attention."

The acrobat was launched from a cannon toward a safety net

...but he fell short landing on a railing

Footage showed him lying motionless on the floor as a circus colleague ran over to help.

"They put the guy onto a mat and carried him away behind stage, still no sign of him awake," Ms Jones said.

"The ambulance arrived in probably about 10 minutes and by the time they drove on to [Llanbradach Showfield] the show was beginning back up."

The acrobat was in costume as Captain America

Circus bosses said the performer was one of only six "daredevil human cannonballs" in the world to attempt "such a dangerous feat".

The incident has been referred to Caerphilly council and the Health Safety Executive.

The council said it was aware of the incident and was investigating.