Keir Starmer 'shocked' by horror footage of police ramming fleeing cow

Surrey Police have launched an investigation after a fleeing calf was injured after officers rammed it with their police vehicle – the incident sparked widespread outrage online.

Shocking new video of terrified cow being rammed by police

Labor leader Keir Starmer said he was “shocked” by harrowing footage showing police officers repeatedly ram an escaped calf in Surrey.

The Labor leader shared his concern as he and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves visited Southampton today. As the pair spoke to workers at Ocean Gate, Starmer also spoke out about the harrowing footage of Surrey police officers repeatedly ramming the animal in Staines-upon-Thames at around 8.55pm on Friday.

During a rapid-fire question-and-answer session with journalists, Starmer said: “I was really shocked when I saw those images. I think anyone who saw those images would be.” The Labor leader also said “yes” when asked if the incident constituted animal cruelty.

Starmer made the comments while on the campaign trail in Southampton(Getty Images)

The ramming incident sparked widespread outrage online after the calf – who was later revealed to be called Beau Lucy – was hit five times by the police car. In footage of the incident, one person could be heard shouting “they just killed him.”

Beau Lucy was seen standing in the middle of a road before an officer drove towards the calf and sent it flying several meters forward, knocking her to the ground. As the poor girl struggled to get up, the driver accelerated and pinned Beau Lucy under the front of the car.

The police then got out of the car to assess the situation. A factory worker who stayed with the calf until it was taken to a horse stall said police radioed for armed officers to come out and shoot the animal. The officer involved in the incident has been suspended from front-line duties.

Surrey Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp previously said: “I fully appreciate the distress our handling of this incident has caused and will ensure it is thoroughly and diligently investigated . refer the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for independent review.

Beau Lucy was hit by the police (Facebook)

“At this time, the officer who was driving the police car was removed from his frontline duties pending the outcome of these investigations.” Home Secretary James Cleverly had called for a “full and urgent explanation” as to why the police used the car to ram the fleeing animal, saying it seemed “unnecessarily brutal”.