Bull shot by firearms officers had escaped from the meat plant

At around 11am, police put out a message warning of a bull which they said was 'believed to be dangerous' on the loose, in the area of Tromode.

They told anyone in the area to stay in their vehicles, stay in their homes, and not to approach the animal.

To show you the urgency of this situation - this initial message was quickly followed up with another which said the bull was heading towards Quarterbridge.

However, no more than half-an-hour later, officers said the situation had been resolved.

This was followed up by another statement saying that the bull had been 'safely dispatched', meaning the bull had been killed.

Officers had evacuated the area, and a number of roads were closed after the animal's owner couldn't control it.

The bull was located in a car park off Peel Road and dealt with by trained officers.

''There was no easy way to contain the bull."

Following criticism online of the handling of this situation, and the bull's demise, Manx Radio approached the Isle of Man Constabulary for comment.

In response, it says: "The bull, which was due to be dispatched by the IOM Meat Plant, became extremely aggressive, putting workers who are experienced in managing cattle at significant risk.  The Meat Plant were unable to utilise conventional methods for dispatch.  The bull became more agitated, and the Meat Plant requested assistance from the Police to dispatch the animal.  

"Before the police arrived, further contact was received by 999 that the bull had escaped and entered some nearby residential estates, passing near to a primary school.  Contact was immediately made with the school to initiate safety procedures.  The bull was located at Douglas Rugby Club having gone through nearby fields and therefore could have easily escaped by the same entry or via other available exits."

Superintendent Steve Maddocks says: “The IOM Meat Plant asked for police assistance to dispatch the animal but unfortunately it escaped prior to our arrival.  As per the Applied Professional Practice in relation to firearms operations, authorised firearms officers were deployed to negate the threat to the public.   We fully understand the public’s upset with an animal having been dispatched but there was no easy way to contain the bull.  

"It had free rein to go anywhere, having already travelled through an estate and near a primary school.  I am aware that there were workers in the area who filmed the incident.  We have no control over people filming in a public place or indeed what they choose to do with the footage.  

"A number of shots were required to kill the bull due to the size of the animal.  We would like to state to the public that there were no missed shots, and the public were not put in unnecessary danger by the police.  The police do not have the capability to tranquilise animals, as has been suggested, and utilising a trained professional was not a viable option for wider public safety reasons.  

"The IOM Meat Plant attended the location quickly and removed the bull.  I am aware of some comments from members of the public suggesting we could have corralled the bull into a wagon or field with gates.  These options were considered at the time by the firearms commanders and operatives, but again, were not deemed to be viable options.” 

Review underway at meat plant