The events which led up to a cow being injured in Staines-upon-Thames in the early hours of June 15, is being investigated as a criminal and internal misconduct matter.

The cow, Beau Lucy, who remains in the care of her owner, was reported to be on the loose from around 9pm on June 14 until around 00.30am on June 15. Police are completing enquiries to fully understand what happened during that time.

The investigation, led by the Professional Standards Department and overseen by a Senior Investigating Officer from the Surrey Police and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, is continuing and making good progress.

As part of the enquiries, the investigation team have carried out approximately 290 house-to-house visits and conducted a further 210 leaflet drops along the route. Additionally, 75 witnesses have been contacted and in excess of 250 clips of video footage have been submitted by members of the public.

All of the information is currently being reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation.

Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp said: “This significant update demonstrates why a thorough investigation is important, as it ensures all potential criminal and misconduct matters are clearly understood. This does, of course, take time. 

“Since the incident, we have received in excess of 20,000 messages on social media and 2,000 complaints from the public, highlighting the strength of feeling about this case.

“It is therefore of greatest importance to conduct a diligent investigation so we can provide the owner of Beau Lucy, and the public, with answers as to how this incident happened and the events which led up to it.

“We remain committed to providing significant updates relating to this incident on our website as and when we have them.”