Stray deer injures woman shopper in Chelmsford (From Chelmsford Weekly News)
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Stray deer injures woman shopper in Chelmsford
4:47pm Thursday 3rd January 2013 in News
CCTV image of the deer running down Tindal Street
A SHOPPER was injured after a stray deer caused chaotic scenes in Chelmsford city centre.
The large male deer ran along the High Street and past the High Chelmer Shopping Centre as hundreds of people hit the shops to grab bargains in the January sales.
During the incident, a woman from Chelmsford in her 20s received injuries to her head and face after the creature tried to leap over her outside the Superdrug store in Half Moon Square.
After being treated by medical staff at the shopping centre, paramedics took her to hospital with her injuries being described as “minor” and was discharged hours later.
East of England Ambulance Service spokesman Richard Dunne said: “A woman in her 20s was kicked by the deer on the High Street.
“She sustained head and facial injuries which weren’t life threatening and we transported her to Broomfield Hospital.”
High Chelmer Shopping Centre manager Mick McDonagh said he could not believe what the surveillance camera images were showing after reviewing the footage.
Mr McDonagh said: “It was first brought to our attention when a call was made for first aid assistance, but it was only when we spun the camera round that we realised what had happened.
“We were amazed when we looked through the footage and obviously our thoughts are with the young woman who did get injured during the incident.
“It is a fairly unique incident to see something like this, although a colleague of mine did point out something similar happened on the High Street in 2005 where a stray deer had to be caught.
“I remember as a child when the livestock market used to be where the centre is now that bulls would break free, but it is still a shock to see a deer running around.”
The deer disappeared after running down New London Road but is said to have been spotted again by motorists near the Sandon junction of the A12.
A spokesman for Essex Police said rolling road blocks were set up on both sides of the carriageway, but no trace of the deer was found.
No further sightings have been reported since.
