A COW has been destroyed after escaping from a farm between Calne and Lyneham this morning.

Wiltshire Police were called to an incident shortly before 9am after a member of the public reported that a bull was on the loose on the main road.

Members of the public were warned not to approach the animal while officers attended the scene.

It later transpired that the bull was in fact a cow. 

A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: "Wiltshire Police were called to an incident before 9am this morning following a report of a bull on the loose in Hilmarton, Calne.

"Following assistance from both local farmers and the public, it later transpired that the bull had been mistaken for a cow that was missing from a nearby farm.

"The cow was highly distressed and, after consultation with its owner, it was decided that the animal would be humanly destroyed as it placed members of the public at significant risk of danger.

"At 12:48pm, the animal was destroyed by a trained officer and subsequently Quakers Lane, just off the A3102 in Goatacre, was shut for 30 minutes while transportation of the animal's body was arranged."