16 June 2024 , 07:24
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The horrific moment an escaped cow is rammed by a police car twice has caused outrage after being posted to social media.
Video footage shows the cow roaming loose in a residential street in Staines-upon-Thames last night after breaking free from its enclosure.
The first impact from the patrol car sends it skidding down the road, with a neighbour heard shouting in the background: ‘What are you doing that for?’
It barely manages to get back to its feet before the same car rams it again, pinning the animal underneath the front bumper.
BBC wildlife presenter and activist Chris Packham said: ‘I don’t know where to start with this.
‘But it’s surely illegal and must be investigated and prosecuted. What sort of monster rams a calf? Twice?’
Police try to stop an escaped cow by ramming it with their car in Feltham, West London pic.twitter.com/kRTnGRr5SH
— UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) June 15, 2024
Other online users were equally horrified by the clip and quickly condemned the officers’ ‘brutality’.
One said: ‘For real, this could have been done safely. No need to be brutal like that. What a joke.’
Another commented: ‘This is disgraceful, I can not believe what I’ve just seen.’
The Home Secretary has demanded a ‘full, urgent explanation’ for the officers’ actions.
In a post on X, he wrote: ‘I can think of no reasonable need for this action. I’ve asked for a full, urgent explanation for this.
‘It appears to be unnecessarily heavy handed.’
I can think of no reasonable need for this action.
— James Cleverly???????? (@JamesCleverly) June 15, 2024
I’ve asked for a full, urgent explanation for this.
It appears to be unnecessarily heavy handed. https://t.co/FsNnA9iQ2R
The RSPCA described the footage as ‘upsetting and distressing’ and said the police ‘action appears disproportionate to the situation’.
Surrey Police said the cow was running loose throughout the evening on a number of main roads.
The force were responding after being alerted by calls reporting that a car had been damaged and the animal was running at members of the public.
Officers were extremely concerned about the public’s safety, and over a period of a number of hours tried a number of options to safely capture the cow, the force said.
The police then decided to use the police car to stop the cow.
The force said the matter had been referred to its Professional Standards Department.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has also been notified and a voluntary referral will be made in due course, the spokesman added.
Members of the public helped to move the cow to a nearby farm in the early hours of Saturday.
The owner has been located and a vet has looked at the cow’s injuries.
The force said the matter had been referred to its Professional Standards Department (Picture: Twitter / UB1UB2 West London)
Chief Inspector Sam Adcock said: ‘I know that this has caused distress and I’d like to thank the community for their concern.
‘The decision to use the police car is one that was only taken after other methods to stop the cow had failed.
‘There will be an investigation into the actions that led to this, but our focus at all times is on ensuring the safety of the public.
‘I know there are videos circulating of this incident, which the public may find distressing.
‘I would ask that these videos are sent directly to us to help with our investigation.’
The RSPCA spokesman said: ‘This is upsetting and distressing footage.
‘As soon as we were made aware, we urgently contacted the police to establish the background and to find out what happened to the calf.
‘We are pleased to hear the calf survived and is receiving vet care.
‘Surrey Police has referred themselves to their own professional standards department and to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. We support this as the action appears disproportionate to the situation.
‘We are happy to assist in any investigations carried out.
‘All animals should be treated with respect. Together we can create a better world for all animals.’