'Dangerous' bull on the loose shot dead by police

A "dangerous, on-the-loose" bull which had escaped a meat processing plant was shot dead because there was "no easy way to contain it", police have said.

The bull, which had been due to be slaughtered on Tuesday at the abattoir in Tromode, Douglas, was "aggressive" and police were called before it escaped at about 11:00 BST.

An Isle of Man Constabulary spokesperson said officers were further alerted after the bull ran into a residential area near a primary school. It was shot at Douglas Rugby Club half an hour later.

The shooting caused some local distress and a review of how the bull managed to escape has been launched.

A group, named Justice for Manx Bull, has been created following the incident.

It has called for a clear plan for handling escaped livestock safely in future, as well as training and co-ordination between vets, police and farmers.

Supt Steve Maddocks said there had been "no easy way to contain the bull".

He said the force "fully understood" the "public's upset" about the incident.

But the bull had "free rein to go anywhere," he said, and "a number of shots were required" to kill it due to its large size and weight.

Staff from the Isle of Man meat plant attended "quickly" to remove the dead animal, police said.

Supt Maddocks said there were "no missed shots", adding that members of the public were "not put in unnecessary danger" by officers.

Police on the island do not have the capability to tranquilise animals, he added, and using a trained professional "was not a viable option for public safety reasons" in the circumstances.

The area was evacuated, safety procedures at the primary school were initiated, and roads were closed in the area as the animal was located to a car park off Peel Road, near Quarterbridge.

Isle of Man Meats said: "Incidents of this nature are extremely rare [and] a full internal review is now under way to determine how this occurred and to ensure that all appropriate measures are in place to prevent a re-occurrence.

"We remain committed to the highest standards of safety and animal welfare."

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