Cattle trapped in trailer after vehicle overturns on A5 at Felton Butler

A lorry carrying cattle overturned at A5 Felton Butler Roundabout near Nesscliffe this morning.

Emergency services were called at just after 7am to the incident which involved a double-decked cattle truck containing 36 male cattle which needed rescuing.

Five fire appliances were mobilised from Baschurch, Shrewsbury and Wellington where the specialist animal rescue team is based.

Station manager Chris White said: “Animal rescues such as these need to be very methodical and carefully planned with the right resources and experts in place.

“The trapped cattle were highly distressed and likely to bolt as soon as they are exposed to light. They can be very unpredictable, and we had to ensure the rescue was controlled to prevent any further distress.

“They are huge animals and incredibly powerful so the safety of all the Emergency Service crews and support staff was paramount.

"With help of an animal welfare teams from Mcartneys - a firm of experienced bovine animal handlers - and three individual vets from Shropshire Farm Vets and Brownlow Vets of Ellesmere, we created a safe enclosure to herd the cattle into another transporter to safety.

“Thankfully all but one of the animals were rescued safely and there was no impact on human life. I’d like to thank all those involved in the rescue and ensuring the operation ran so smoothly.”

Only one of the animals had to be put to sleep due to injuries sustained in the incident.

The driver of the vehicle freed himself from the cab of the lorry before emergency services arrived at the scene.

The road reopened at around 4pm following what police say was a difficult recovery.