Cow's owner gives health update after police car ran down escaped farm animal

16 June 2024 , 12:27

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Cow's owner gives health update after police car ran down escaped farm animal

A young cow that escaped a farm and was run down by a Surrey Police car is recovering in a barn - but could still die from shock, its farmer's partner has claimed.

The 10-month-old heifer, named Beau Lucy, has no broken bones and is being nursed back to health after the "disgusting" incident, she said. Beau Lucy was rammed down by a police car on Friday night in Staines, before the car drove into the calf again shortly afterward. Footage of the sickening event was later uploaded to social media, and sparked a furious backlash from viewers, including BBC Springwatch host Chris Packham, and Home Secretary James Cleverly.

The partner of the animal's farmer, Kate, said the footage was "horrific", and the police officer driving the car should be sacked. "It looked like they tried to kill it," she said. "Honestly, when I saw the video, I thought he should lose his job. I just thought it was disgusting. I couldn't believe it.

"I don't know if it was his decision to drive at the animal or whether he was instructed to, but the police, when they got out of the car looked pretty agitated themselves." Surrey Police said the decision to run down the cow was taken as it was "extremely concerned about the public's safety". But, Kate said Beau Lucy "wasn't that out of control, just spooked". She added: "I can only imagine the police that did it have no idea about farm animals."

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The cow could still eventually die after the incident, Kate said, despite it recovering with other foals at its farm. "I don't know whether she will live," she said. "She could died of the shock but hopefully she'll live," she told Sky News. Beau Lucy was grazing in a field in Staines Moor, but it's believed she escaped by swimming across a river.

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The police said it received "numerous calls" about the cow running at people, and that previous attempts to capture it had proven unsuccessful. "Unfortunately, these were unsuccessful, and the decision was made to stop it using a police car," the force said.

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."

The incident was referred to the police's professional standards department, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has been made aware.

Matt Atherton