A GOODRICH couple caught up in the China earthquake have spoken of their lucky escape and relief to be home.

Barrie and Christine Jackson were visiting a panda sanctuary in the Sichuan province when the earthquake hit nine days ago.

Christine, 63, said: “On the whole, we are fine. We are very grateful that we have been very lucky compared with a lot of other people.”

The couple were eight days into the trip of a lifetime when they made a four-hour coach trip to the remote sanctuary.

Barrie, 68, said: “One minute it was fine and then there was a horrendous noise, it was quite unbelievable.

“We just ran towards the way that we had come in, we didn’t know if that was the safest thing to do, we just tried to escape.”