Rare white deer shot dead on Bootle street by police

The deer was shot by police after it ran through the streets of Bootle

A rare white deer was shot dead by police after it was spotted running through the streets of a town.

People in Bootle, Merseyside were shocked when they saw the wild animal roaming about on Sunday morning.

The RSPCA said it had advised police to "leave the deer as it would make its own way back home" eventually.

But Merseyside Police said officers decided to euthanise the deer after growing concerns it might be dangerous for motorists and pedestrians.

The force said it first received reports of the fallow buck running along various roads at about 08:45 BST on Sunday.

Armed response officers were able to secure it on an industrial estate off Melling Road.

A veterinary surgeon was called to monitor the animal's welfare and assist attempts to control it.

'Danger'

However, police said they were "unable to get assistance" after making enquiries "to find an organisation who could assist with recovering the deer safely".

The animal became distressed, police 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," a spokesman said.

"As a result a decision was made in the early evening to euthanise the deer."

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said that while 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".

"This could create a bigger public safety and animal welfare issue," she added.

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

What causes a deer to be white?

• White deer are usually fallow, a species that is widely distributed across much of the UK

• The white fallow are not seen as often as the other three main colour types (common, menil and black) but tend to stand out more obviously against other members of a herd

• Fallow are unusual in that they occur in so many different colour varieties, which can be attributed to selective breeding in the deer parks where they were once kept before becoming feral in the UK

• The white deer are not albinos. They have normal eye pigmentation, although their hooves and noses might be somewhat paler than the other colour varieties

• Unusually pale coats in any deer are usually a result of under-production of melanin, the chemical responsible for skin pigmentation

Source: The British Deer Society

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