A police officer who rammed a force car into a cow on a road is returning to frontline duties after an investigation cleared him of wrongdoing.

The animal called Beau Lucy, was hit in Feltham, Staines-upon-Thames, on June 15.

Thousands of people complained after videos emerged and Surrey Police started an investigation.

But today the force said "an investigation found the tactic was both lawful and necessary"."

The cow, Beau Lucy, is well and remains at the farm with her herd, police said.

The investigation saw a team review over 250 pieces of video footage, 75 witness statements and expert opinions of animal welfare specialists.

It concluded "while footage of the incident was distressing" those involved acted within their duties, and the tactics adopted were both lawful and necessary to prevent harm to the public and property. "

As such, no further action will be taken in either the criminal investigation, or the internal misconduct matter.



Deputy chief constable, Nev Kemp, said; "We appreciate the strength of feeling which remains in relation to this incident, which is why we committed to conducting a diligent and thorough investigation to determine whether any criminal offences had taken place in relation to the actions taken by Surrey Police on the night. "

"This involved gathering substantial amounts of video evidence, as well as speaking to witnesses, and animal welfare specialists to help inform the SIOs decision making. "

"After investigating for five months, the SIO found that while there is necessary organisational learning in relation to how we handle loose livestock, no criminal offences were made out and therefore no further action should be taken against those who were involved. "

"This determination was supported by the head of professional standards for Surrey Police who subsequently reviewed whether there was any potential misconduct. "

"They determined a need for individual learning, but that no further action is taken in relation to misconduct. The driver of the vehicle will return to frontline duties in due course."

"This incident has highlighted several issues in relation to how the police respond to a loose livestock incident and therefore, as a force, we want to do what we can to reduce the possibility of any event like this happening again, not just in Surrey but anywhere in the country. "

"We have reviewed the recommendations made by the SIO and experts in this area, and will be working to address these promptly, sharing any best practice with forces across the UK."