Cow escapes from abattoir and flees to garage before being shot dead by police

‘A decision was taken to conclude the incident as quickly and humanely as possible’

A cow escaped from a slaughterhouse and fled to a BMW garage before being shot dead by police.

Officers attempted to capture the animal after the police received reports of a cow on the loose in Carlisle, Cumbria, at about 12pm on Wednesday.

Video footage filmed by a passer-by showed the cow standing on a strip of grass on an industrial estate just off the M6 in the Kingstown area.

The cow is also thought to have fled to a nearby housing estate, where it was photographed standing on someone’s lawn.

People using Twitter called for the cow to be freed, using the hashtag #SaveCarlisleCow.

But it was shot dead by police to apparently conclude the incident “as quickly and humanely as possible”.

A Cumbria Police spokesperson aid: “The cow, which was in a highly distressed state, was destroyed by armed officers following concerns for the public and motorists.

“Efforts were made to resolve the situation safely, however given the potential danger and the increased stress on the animal a decision was taken to conclude the incident as quickly and humanely as possible.”