Police go to battle with escaped cattle

A small herd of cows escaped from a field and hoofed their way to havoc in Little Common.

It's thought dog walkers failed to secure a gate which meant eight heifers were able to make a strong bid for freedom and ended up in a housing estate, leaving a mini-trail of devastation in their wake.

They ambled out of their field at the end of Spring Lane, up Fontwell Avenue, Magpie Close and around Cowdrey Park Road.

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On the way they caused damage to lawns, plants and pots, let fly a volley of dung which spattered a wall and front door, knocked over a motorcycle and smashed the wing mirror of a car.

Sussex Police received half a dozen calls on Wednesday June 2 from midday onwards alerting them of the cow-tastrophe and responded to the emergency.

The cows were eventually herded back to the field by the farmer using his 4X4 but not before PC Roy Warren and PCSO Roy Collins had a few attempts at cajoling, coaxing and coralling them under control.

PC Warren commented: "We tried to moo-ve them on. Unfortunately we had to book a few of them for road traffic offences because they had no horn. Also, they were eating on the hoof, and playing hide and seek.

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"In one of the houses the husband called out to his wife to come and look at the front garden. She thought he had seen a woodpecker or something, but when she looked out there were eight cows staring straight back at her from the garden.

"The householders were all quite philosophical about it and the farmer will be paying for all the damage caused.

"It's a good moment to remind dog owners of the responsibility they should be showing to animal keepers such as farmers, and the problems they can cause as a result of not shutting gates, with potential damage and possible injury to people."

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