82-year-old woman escapes death during a farm attack after bullet meant for her lodges in her Bible

An elderly woman escaped death during a farm attack after a bullet missed her and became lodged in her Bible.

Bettie Nel woke up to loud noises in her farmhouse outside Mahikeng, north west South Africa on Saturday night.

She went downstairs to find two intruders in her house. The brave woman threw a doorstop at one of them and he fired a shot in retaliation.

Luckily, the bullet missed Ms Nel and lodged in her bible which was resting on a side table next to her bed. The intruders then ran off.

Police are hunting six suspects after firearms and mobile phones were stolen from the house, reported Netwerk24.

Ms Nel’s daughter, 61, and her 63-year-old boyfriend were beaten in their beds with the handle of a pick axe by the attackers and left with head injuries.

It comes amid continued violence against white farmers in South Africa as President Cyril Ramaphosa attempts to quicken the pace of land reform.

The murder rate was up seven per cent in 2017/18 compared with the previous year.