Swindon allotment forced to close after wild deer trapped

Green-fingered Rodbourne locals hoping to tend to their veggies and plants have had to stay away as Central Swindon North Parish Council attempts to rescue the animal from inside Redcliffe Street site. 

The large allotment is entirely fenced off all the way around, and is accessed by a gate that members of the public should close and lock behind them, but somehow the deer found itself inside. 

This forced the parish council to close the facility to the public and put not one, but two warning notices on the entrance urging people to stay well away for as long as the deer was temporarily living there. 

One sign said in big bold letters: "Please do not enter". 

The parish council also let residents know about the wildlife issue, which had been ongoing for a number of days by that point, with a post on its Facebook page on Sunday. 

The notice on the gate warns residents not to enter (Image: Newsquest)

It said: "Redcliffe Street allotments are temporarily closed pending removal of a wild deer which we expect to achieve on Tuesday 25 April.

"We appreciate that this is an inconvenience for allotment holders, and would be grateful if you would not enter the site until further notice."

It said that the closure was "for reasons of public safety and the welfare of the animal", and added: "We apologise for the inconvenience."

But the attempt to rescue the deer from within the allotment on Monday ended in failure after it proved to be more elusive than expected, leading to the council having to extend the closure. 

In a follow-up post on its Facebook page, it said: "Despite best efforts it was not possible to tranquilize the deer today. The vet team will return on Wednesday, April 25 to attempt to net the deer.

“The allotments remain closed. Please do not enter.”

A council spokesperson added: “We apologise for the inconvenience to you and thank you for your forbearance and understanding while we seek to resolve the matter."

A further comment from the council was added underneath that Facebook post sharing a light-hearted quip about what might happen if the second attempt is unsuccessful. 

It said: “If we can’t get it removed on Wednesday, we may start calling the allotments, Redcliffe Street Deer Park.”