Escaped bull causes chaos near Amble

Posted by The Journal on Dec 21, 08 03:05 PM in News

A Bull which escaped from a Northumberland farm yesterday was shot dead by police marksmen.

The animal got away from a farm in the Amble area at around 10am and ran amok on the A1068 between the town and neighbouring Warkworth, causing chaos, according to one witness.

Police were forced to introduce traffic control although motorists were able to continue their journeys.

At one point, the animal ran into the River Coquet estuary before officers managed to chase it into a safe area.

By now, the creature had become distressed and was deemed a possible danger to the public.

After consulting with the farmer who owned it, firearms officers shot the bull.

Three farms in the Amble area which have, or used to keep, cattle yesterday said the bull had not come from their properties.

Sheila Forsyth of Gloster Hill Farm, off the A1068, reported seeing the beast running wild from a window at her home.

She said: "I could see it from the house here. It is like two fields away.

"It must have been on the road to start with, then they got it into the field at the side of the river road.

"They got it into a field and the police marksmen came and shot it.

"There had been chaos on the road there, there were four police cars and a helicopter and marksmen.

"They seemed to be letting traffic through.

"It is still lying there, just what you need before Christmas."

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "We received reports that a cow was loose in Warkworth.

"Officers attended and made every effort to control the animal and move it into a safe area.

"However the animal had become agitated and was deemed a possible danger to the public so the decision was taken with the farmer that the animal should be humanely killed.

"This has now been done. Traffic within the area is back to normal. No one was hurt."

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