Rare white deer shot dead on Bootle street by police

Police in Liverpool shot a rare white deer after it was seen running through the streets of a town.

Police in Liverpool shot a rare white deer after it was seen running through the streets of Bootle, Merseyside.

Residents of the town were shocked to see the wild animal walking around the street on Sunday morning, September 26.

The RSPCA said it had told the police to “leave the deer as it would make its own way back home” eventually. However, officers decided to kill the deer following increasing concerns that it might be a danger to motorists and pedestrians.

Merseyside Police said it received reports at around 8:45am that residents has spotted the deer running along various roads on Sunday.

Armed response officers secured the animal on an industrial estate off Melling Road. A vet was called to monitor its welfare and assist officers attempts to control it.

However, police said they were “unable to get assistance” after attempting “to find an organisation who could assist with recovering the deer safely”. They claim the animal became distressed.

A spokesman said: “There was no option to let the deer wander as it could be a danger to motorists and members of the public in the area, particularly as the hours of darkness approached.”

“As a result, a decision was made in the early evening to euthanise the deer.”

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said that even though the deer could have been sedated “this needs to be done with caution in a public area such as this one, as the deer could startle and run when hit by the dart.”

She added that: “This could create a bigger public safety and animal welfare issue.”

“Although deer traditionally live in forests, moors and parkland, they are becoming more common in urban environments across the UK.”

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