Police were ‘probably right’ to ram escaped cow Beau Lucy with their 4×4, says FARM union official – as her owner fears she may be left infertile by the assault

Police were ‘probably right’ when they rammed a runaway calf with their SUV, a farmer and trade union leader claims, but the animal’s owner fears the attack will leave her infertile.

Hugh Broom, chairman of the National Farmers’ Union for livestock farming in the south-east of the country, said that although the images looked “horrendous”, officers were probably “doing the right thing” at the time.

The 10-month-old cow, named Beau Lucy, suffered abrasions and a large gash to her leg when a Surrey Police truck mowed her down in a residential street in Feltham, west London, on Friday.

The young cow was thrown 30 feet before landing under a bumper after escaping from Staines Moor in Surrey and swimming across a river.

The disturbing images sparked widespread anger and Surrey Police announced yesterday that the officer behind the wheel had been removed from the front line pending an investigation.

Mr Broom told BBC Radio Surrey: ‘Although the whole thing looks awful, and it does for everyone, they probably did the right thing at the time.

‘The other option is to shoot the animal. Would you want to use a gun in such an environment on a dark Friday evening in a built-up area?’

Mr Broom added: ‘God forbid it had gone the other way and the animal ran away and bumped into someone, sent a child away, sent everyone away, [which is] That was perfectly possible and they were seriously injured or worse.

‘People would say, ‘Why wasn’t the animal stopped?’

But despite Mr Broom trying to justify the incident, Beau Lucy’s owner has expressed fears the cow will become infertile.

The calf was labeled a “breeding cow” from birth, saving her a one-way trip to a slaughterhouse in favor of a lifetime of grazing in lush pastures with generations of her own calves.

Cows usually start giving birth around the age of two to three years and continue to do so for about ten years.

But friends of the farmer worry that the stress of the attack has left her unable to reproduce, leaving him without a humane way to recoup the investment in her feeding and care if Surrey Police are not there succeeds in paying the compensation.

If Beau Lucy is unable to give birth due to her injuries, the owner will have wasted thousands of pounds on her at a time when many farmers are struggling to make ends meet.

But his friends insisted it would be preferable for her to spend her days in an animal shelter.

It comes as new footage this morning shows the calf standing in the corner of her enclosure, with abrasions visible on her legs and backside.

Despite the injuries and a “slight limp,” Beau Lucy is otherwise in “remarkable condition” and breathing well, her owners told Channel 5 News.

The farmer who owns Beau Lucy has described her as ‘grouch and bruised’ as he accused police of ‘wanting to kill her’.

Speak with The sunBeau Lucy’s owner Rob said the calf was ‘spirited and upset’ and ‘scared’ when he managed to reach her.

He told the newspaper he was “angry, upset and disgusted,” adding: “We really thought they were trying to kill it.”

His wife said police could have called a vet and used a sedative if they were concerned.

Rob previously said: “I think the video speaks for itself. It was quite gruesome. The way the situation was handled was incorrect. It was wrong and I think that’s the message we learned. It could have been handled so much better. The videos were a disturbing sight.”

He said Beau Lucy is ‘a lot better’ and recovering well, but added: ‘Time will tell as we don’t know what internal injuries she might have. But she eats and cuddles, so it’s always a promise when she does.”

Home Secretary James Cleverly has been among critics of Surrey Police’s “heavy-handed” approach to the scared calf.

The force has announced that the Professional Standards Department has been notified and that it will voluntarily turn to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for further investigation.

Calls have been made to loot the ‘monsters’ who rammed the calf after a video showed the bovine calmly wandering down the street before officers moved in and told them to put the animal down to protect the public.

Shocking footage shows police brutally beating the calf twice after it escaped from its enclosure, as a nearby member of the public shouts: ‘What are you doing that for?’

Cleverly, nature TV presenter Chris Packham and Deborah Meaden were among those who condemned the police’s ‘brazen’ actions.

Surrey Police said in a statement: ‘The cow was loose on a number of main roads throughout the evening and during this time we received numerous calls from the public reporting that a car had been damaged and was driving towards the public.

‘Given these reports, officers were extremely concerned for the safety of the public and tried a number of options over a number of hours to safely capture the cow.

‘Unfortunately that did not work and it was decided to stop the action with a police car. This matter has been referred to our Professional Standards department. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has been notified and a voluntary referral will be made in due course.”

Chief Inspector Sam Adcock said: “I know this has caused inconvenience and I would like to thank the community for their concerns.

‘The decision to deploy the police car is one that was only taken after other methods of stopping 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.

“I am aware that there are videos of this incident circulating that the public may find disturbing. I would request that these videos be sent directly to us to assist in our investigation.”

Critics included Mr Packham, who wrote on X, formerly Twitter: ‘I don’t know where to start with this. But it is certainly illegal and should be investigated and prosecuted. What monster rams a calf? Twice?’

Mr Cleverly also asked for a ‘full, urgent explanation’ as to why officers appeared to use a police car to run over an escaped cow, saying the police action appeared ‘unnecessarily heavy-handed’.

The RSPCA described the footage as ‘shocking and disturbing’ and said the police actions were ‘disproportionate to the situation’.

Dragons’ Den’s Judge Meaden also took to vehicle their only option….come on!!

“I know it’s not all the police, but seriously… this has to have some really serious consequences.”

An RSPCA spokesperson said: ‘These are disturbing and disturbing images.

‘As soon as we became aware of this, we urgently contacted the police to establish the background and find out what happened to the calf. We are happy to hear that the calf survived and is receiving veterinary care.

‘Surrey Police have referred themselves to their own professional standards department and to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. We support this because the action seems disproportionate to the situation.

‘We are happy to assist with any investigations. All animals must be treated with respect. Together we can create a better world for all animals.’

An IOPC spokesperson said: “We have been made aware of this incident by Surrey Police and that a referral will be made in due course.

“When we receive it, we will conduct an assessment to determine what further action we require.”

In an earlier statement released on Friday evening, Surrey Police said the animal “became increasingly distressed” as it was moved to safety.