Deer officers team warns drivers to be vigilant

Officers say they deal with "the odd escapee" deer from Wollaton, but most incidents are in the north of Nottinghamshire

A firearms police officer who is part of a specialised deer team has warned motorists to look out for the animal as they drive around the county.

Insp Georgie Newton heads up Nottinghamshire Police's deer officers team, which aims to prevent crashes and respond humanely when animals get injured.

According to the British Deer Society, more than 40,000 are killed on the roads in the UK each year, with a peak in incidents around May.

"It's often the young deer that are beginning to be left alone at this time of year, so April-May are very busy times in terms of concern," Insp Newton added.

Insp Georgie Newton heads up Nottinghamshire Police's deer officers team

"We have had the odd escapee from Wollaton Hall but it is more north of the county where we are seeing more [collisions] involving the deer," Insp Newton said.

"The young deer are often left alone for [short] periods of time and obviously they do not know so much about the world, they're not so acquainted with roads, and that can unfortunately result in the deer wandering on to the road."

Insp Newton says specialist officers "are dotted around the county" to deal with any deer that gets into difficulty.

Police teams dealing with the dangers of deer have been running in other parts of the UK for a number of years, with a scheme in Hampshire believed to have saved about £60,000 a year.

Insp Newton said if drivers ended up hitting a deer, they should pull up, park "as safely as possible", use their hazard lights and contact the emergency services, ideally using what3words to help officers find the exact locations.

"Deer can often be injured but still be moving and then they can cause additional road traffic collisions, so we would like to be informed so we can manage that situation," she added.