Home Secretary James Cleverly has demanded an urgent explanation following the circulation of a video from Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey showing a police car deliberately driving into a cow twice. The disturbing footage surfaced on social media this morning, capturing a police car striking the loose cow, causing it to fall and skid down the road. As the cow attempted to get up, the car hit it again, trapping the animal under its front.
Surrey Police responded by referring itself to the police complaints watchdog, explaining that after hours of unsuccessful attempts to safely capture the cow, officers decided to use a police car to stop it. In a post on X, James Cleverly stated: “I can think of no reasonable need for this action. I’ve asked for a full, urgent explanation for this. It appears to be unnecessarily heavy handed.”
Surrey Police detailed the sequence of events, revealing that officers responded to reports of a cow running loose in Staines-upon-Thames around 8:55 PM on Friday. Numerous calls from the public reported damage to a car and the cow running at people. “Officers… over a period of a number of hours tried a number of options to safely capture the cow. Unfortunately, these were unsuccessful, and the decision was made to stop it using a police car,” read the police statement. The cow was subsequently moved to a nearby farm with the help of local residents.
The RSPCA released a statement regarding the “upsetting and distressing footage,” indicating that it had “urgently contacted” the police. The charity emphasized that “all animals should be treated with respect” and urged for a better world for animals.
TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham expressed his outrage on X, writing: “I don’t know where to start with this. But it’s surely illegal and must be investigated and prosecuted. What sort of monster rams a calf? Twice?”
The matter has been referred to the police’s professional standards department, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has been notified.
Chief Inspector Sam Adcock commented: “I know that this has caused distress and I’d like to thank the community for their concern. The decision to use the police car is one that was only taken after other methods to stop the cow had failed. There will be an investigation into the actions that led to this, but our focus at all times is on ensuring the safety of the public.”
Police have requested any videos of the “distressing” incident to aid in their investigation.
