Cow police collision now a criminal investigation

The escaped car was struck by a police vehicle in Staines-upon-Thames

An incident in which an escaped cow was hit by a police vehicle is now being investigated as a criminal matter, police say.

The cow, named Beau Lucy, was struck in Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, at about 00:30 BST on 15 June and is still recovering, Surrey Police said.

The force said as part of its investigation it had made 290 house-to-house visits, handed out 210 leaflets along the route the cow took, spoken to 75 witnesses and received more than 250 video clips.

Surrey Police said it had also received more than 2,000 complaints from the public after a video clip of the cow being struck twice by the police vehicle was widely shared on social media.

The cow had been on the loose since about 21:00 BST the previous day, police said.

The day after the incident Surrey Police announced the driver involved had been removed from front line duties.

The cow survived being struck by the vehicle and is recovering with its owner

The internal investigation is being led by a senior officer from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team.

Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp said: “This significant update demonstrates why a thorough investigation is important, as it ensures all potential criminal and misconduct matters are clearly understood. This does, of course, take time.

“We have received in excess of 20,000 messages on social media and 2,000 complaints from the public, highlighting the strength of feeling about this case.

"It is therefore of greatest importance to conduct a diligent investigation so we can provide the owner of Beau Lucy, and the public, with answers as to how this incident happened and the events which led up to it."

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