An escaped goat has been lassoed by police with riot shields after eating a Christmas wreath.
The animal had chased a woman after devouring her festive decorations in Upper Seagry near Chippenham, Wiltshire.
Police eventually got the wayward goat under control, but not before it tried to eat safety equipment in the back of an officer’s vehicle, the Telegraph reported.
A clip showed the goat slipping the lasso before it was recaptured and taken home.
One of the officers is heard saying: ‘We’ve got it on a tow line, we’ve got some riot shields because he’s trying to butt my head.’
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police said officers had swiftly responded to the incident and caught the animal before returning it to its owner.
It comes as a cull of wild goats has renewed calls for new protections for the species.
Oxygen Conservation faced criticism for killing several wild goats near the villages of Langholm and Newcastleton on the Scottish borders.
The organisation, which owns 11,000 acres of moorlands in the area, said the cull was essential to protect trees and ‘delicate habitats’.
Critics said the killings had been carried out while females were giving birth during what is known as the kidding season.
Scottish ministers are now considering new legislation to protect the 3,000-year-old species.
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‘These neglected species survive in the last truly wild and free habitats of the Borders, and represent an independence of spirit reflective of our national character’, a petition lodged in February read.
‘Their numbers are dangerously low, and in danger of extinction due to loss of habitat, and systematic and ongoing culling.’
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