A deer has been shot dead by police after roaming in a schools grounds and considered a danger to the public.
The stag was filmed running along a grassy roadside verge and roaming around a residential area of Sheffield early on Monday morning.
Passers-by reported it came close to being hit by a car.
But the decision to kill the animal, following discussions with a deer expert and vet, provoked outrage on social media.
South Yorkshire Police said they were contacted at 8.28am by reports of the deer at Greenhill Primary School in Sheffield.
Despite the animal moving away from the school, armed police shot the deer dead as tranquilisers wouldnt work quickly enough.
A police spokesman said: It is reported that a stag entered the school grounds, posing a danger to pupils, staff, and other members of the public.
A deer has been shot dead by police after roaming in a schools grounds. The stag was filmed running along a grassy roadside verge and roaming around a residential area of Sheffield early on Monday morning
Officers attended and consulted with a deer manager and specialist vet, and were advised that a tranquiliser could not be used on the animal as it would not take effect immediately.
The stag moved off the school grounds, but due to the ongoing danger to members of the public, the decision was taken to humanely dispatch the animal out of view of the public.
We appreciate these incidents cause concern for the local community, and these decisions are never taken lightly.
The decision provoked anger on social media.
Writing on a local Facebook page Laura Leanne Scott commented: This is disgusting, it should have been tranquillised that poor defenceless animal would have been so frightened. SYP should be ashamed of themselves for this.
Adele Pinnock said: Absolutely shocked at this! Feel sick to my stomach that they killed the poor deer. They should have at least tried tranquillising it first. Disgusting.
Andrea Schofield wrote: They didnt need to kill it, they could have tranquilized it and move it to somewhere safe, but no, as always the police have to kill it, no doubt theyll come up with some excuse about it being a danger to the public.
Passers-by reported it came close to being hit by a car. But the decision to kill the animal, following discussions with a deer expert and vet, provoked outrage on social media
The stag moved off the school grounds, but due to the ongoing danger to members of the public, the decision was taken to humanely dispatch the animal out of view of the public
Outraged social media user Adele Pinnock said: Absolutely shocked at this! Feel sick to my stomach that they killed the poor deer. They should have at least tried tranquillising it first. Disgusting
However, the British Deer Society, a welfare charity, backed police.
The charitys technical advisor Charles Smith-Jones told the Sheffield Star wild deer can be unpredictable and, in a panicked state, are capable of posing a serious hazard to onlookers and road users.
He said: The police will have had to take many factors including public safety, the law, and animal welfare into account.
I am sure that they would have considered all of the options available and completed a thorough risk assessment before deciding not to attempt to capture a large and seriously stressed wild animal.
A tranquilised animal cannot be relied on to be immobilised immediately even when darted in a relaxed state.
In this case the situation would doubtless have been complicated by high levels of adrenaline present in an already stressed deer.
Those in charge had to make difficult decisions under trying circumstances and this was certainly not the outcome anyone would have wanted.