A nurse inspired to buy a herd of Highland cows after watching Clarkson's Farm has said they 'saved' her after she suffered a nervous breakdown.

Chloe Lucas, 38, worked at Basildon Hospital in Essex during the Covid-19 pandemic but was signed off after struggling with the trauma she saw.

She turned to nature programmes such as Countryfile and Clarkson's Farm - which follows Jeremy Clarkson on his farming journey - during her break from work.

Chloe said watching the programmes 'ignited a fire' in her and she began volunteering on different farms for free.

In 2023, she made the leap to purchase two Highland Cows and said she felt an 'overwhelming sense of love'.

She now has a herd of five cattle she tends to in Wickford, Essex.

The mother-of-two said: "It's my little escape and they saved me."

"Everyone is so busy and rushing around. But when I go to the field, I just forget about all of it and lived in the moment."

Chloe, from Basildon, Essex, qualified as a nurse in 2015 and worked in paediatrics, having 'worked hard' to get her degree as a single parent at the time.

However during the pandemic, she was asked to help out in the intensive care unit for adult patients.

The now Highland cattle farmer and paediatric sister said: "The intensive care unit was really struggling for staff."

"We were drowning in patients because everyone was so sick. "

"Patients were saying goodbye to their families over iPads on ventilators. It was the most heart-breaking thing that nobody should go through. "

"As nurses, we just felt so helpless."

"One day I just broke while I was at work. I told my GP I needed help and I was signed off for three months."

Chloe began watching episodes of Clarkson's Farm and Countryfile during her recovery - and said she's always been 'fascinated' by cattle.

She said: "Everybody was going outdoors and enjoying the wildlife. I was indoors for so long being poorly, I wanted to learn where my food came from."

"I became addicted to Clarkson's Farm - it was eye opening. It was entertaining but such a massive learning curve."

"As I got better, I went to Clarkson's Farm 'Diddly Squat' and something clicked. "

"It ignited this fire in my belly and I thought 'I want to volunteer at farms'. I went round knocking on people's doors and posting letters through."

Chloe volunteered on farms in Norfolk, Kent, Devon and Essex and learnt skills such as delivering calves and driving tractors.

In 2023, she decided to take on two Highland Fold heifers and welcomed Isla and Catriona who were nine-months-old.

Since then, she has added three more to her herd - Beatrix, Dally and Murphy.

Chloe explained: "When I got my girls, I had this overwhelming sense of love. I felt so calm. I had something to look forward to seeing them. "

"They were making my friends and family happy as well."

"They've all got their own personality."

"I love it. I'm lucky because of the breed they're really hardy."

Chloe is still working at Basildon Hospital as a paediatric sister but splits her time between her job and the cows in Wickford, Essex.

She added: "I really struggled with my mental health - I had a lot of support from family and friends. "

"But you feel like you're the only one in the world going through it at that time."

"Everybody struggles with their mental health in a different way. "

"But whether you're a man, woman, old or young, just tell someone you're struggling."

"You've got one life and you do need to live it. You can follow your dreams and be genuinely happy. "

"Contacting your local farm and volunteering is a great way to explore the outdoors."