Cows attack dog walker in field

Insp Chris Poole spent 11 days being treated in hospital

A Sussex policeman has been discharged from hospital after an attack by about 50 cows left him with four broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Insp Chris Poole, 50, said the cattle repeatedly butted and stamped on him when he was out walking his dog on the South Downs earlier this month.

The officer, from Brighton, said he was crossing a field along a footpath.

One cow butted him in the back, forcing him to the ground, before the others joined in, he recalled.

Mr Poole said he managed to escape when his Golden Retriever, called Zak, fled, distracting the cows.

He was taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital by air ambulance after attracting the attention of another dog walker.

It was unlucky the cows attacked... it is very rare but obviously it can happen Insp Chris Poole

He suffered bruising from his thigh to his shoulder, and faced a life-threatening situation three days later when one of his broken ribs severed an artery.

Mr Poole, who spent 11 days in hospital, said he wanted to warn other walkers to give cows a wide berth.

"It was unlucky the cows attacked... it is very rare but obviously it can happen," he said.

The RSPCA said cows could become protective of their young to the point of becoming aggressive, especially if a large dog was nearby.