James Cleverly has blasted police officers for ‘heavy handedness’ after appalling footage of a man ramming a runaway cow with a squad car before trapping it under the vehicle.
The clip shows the car hitting the animal after it escaped from its cage in west London overnight.
After falling to the ground, the cow could barely stand up when the car that ran forward and hit it again.
The Home Secretary slammed the behavior of the police in X today, saying: ‘I don’t think there was any need for this action.
‘I have asked for a full and speedy explanation of this. He seems to have a very heavy hand.’
Chris Packham has condemned police for trampling cows on the road, adding that officers should be ‘investigated and prosecuted’
A police vehicle was caught crashing into a cow in the middle of the road last night after it escaped from its enclosure.
The animal was held to its feet before the vehicle hit the ground again. Surrey Police say the cow is ‘in distress’
Wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham was also among those to condemn the ‘brutal’ actions of the police force, who said they had no choice but to beat the animals after they put the public at risk.
He wrote: ‘I don’t know where to start. But it is definitely illegal and should be investigated and prosecuted.
‘What monster chased the calf? Twice?’
TV and radio host Jeremy Vine joined the dissenting voices on social media, sharing the shocking clip with his followers.
He said: ‘I’m sorry to shock you, but I was shocked.
‘Thank goodness we now have Chris Packham involved.’
Meanwhile, writer Adrian Hilton called for the officials involved to be prosecuted.
He posted: ‘I hope the @RSPCA_official open an investigation into this, it’s horrible to watch and very sad.
‘I see no reason for this action: cattle can be corralled by people. I’m done.’
Online users were quick to condemn the ‘brutality’ of the troops and criticize them for not acting humanely.
One said: ‘Actually, it can be done safely. No need to be brutal like that. What a joke.’
‘This is ridiculous, I can’t believe what I just saw.’
The cow ran off at around 8.55pm in Staines-upon-Thames, causing traffic disruption in the area. Police say they have received several reports of him walking in public and damaging cars.
Surrey Police said officers had tried unsuccessfully for hours to safely capture the cow, after the decision was made to use a police car to stop it from running away.
The force said it would refer the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
He added that the cow has since been taken to a vet and continues to be treated after suffering a ‘large cut’ on its leg.
Chief Inspector Sam Adcock said: “I understand that this has caused distress and I would like to thank the public for their concern.
“The decision to use police cars was only made after other methods of stopping the cattle had failed. There will be an investigation into the actions that led to this, but our focus at all times is to ensure the safety of the public.’
Surrey Police said in a statement that officers turned to police cars to stop the cow after other less drastic methods failed. The force will refer it to the Independent Office for Police Conduct
Online users labeled the force’s actions as brutal and a ‘joke’, adding that the cow could have been caught and removed safely.
Others responded that it was a ‘hoax’ and said they ‘couldn’t believe what I just saw’
In an earlier statement issued on Friday evening, the force said the animal became ‘increasingly distressed’ as it was brought to safety. The cow was moved to a local park where it was awaiting a vet.
Chief Inspector Adam Tatton said: “We understand that this has caused distress in the local community this evening, and I want to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to identify the owner and ensure that the cow is seen by a vet as soon as possible.
‘Our priority when responding to any incident is public safety. I would like to thank the public for their understanding this evening, and ask that they stay away from the park while officers are on scene.’
An RSPCA spokeswoman said: ‘This is disturbing and upsetting to watch.
“We will be in touch with the police as soon as possible to understand what the situation is.”
