Escaped cow shot dead by police

A cow which escaped on to a busy road has been shot dead by police.

The animal, which had been on its way to an agricultural show, was spotted by a motorist on the A9 near Dunblane in Perthshire at about 0830 BST.

The cow then made its way into a nearby garden before police marksmen cordoned off the area and shot it.

Central Scotland Police said they believed the cow was behaving in a "very aggressive manner" and had become a danger to the public.

Superintendent Davie Flynn said: "There was a risk that a member of the public could have been seriously hurt.

"After several attempts by the owner to calm the animal down, it jumped into nearby gardens in Montrose Way.

"We were left with no option but to humanely destroy the animal. At all times the safety of the public was our priority."

Police could not say where the animal escaped from.