A TERRORISED cow, who had been shot at by air-rifle wielding youths, went on the rampage in Stourport after jumping in the River Severn.

Petrified beast Gertie careered through town streets causing traffic chaos as she made her escape. Five firefighters wrestled her to the ground in Mitton Street after she had swum half-a-mile and caused dozens of cars to swerve out of her path.

A Stourport Fire Station spokesman said Gertie could have drowned or caused a serious accident. He said: "It went under water a couple of times - it must have been terrified.

"It sounds comical, five firefighters chasing a cow through town streets but it was galloping through the roads causing cars to swerve out of the way. We finally cornered it. Two jumped more or less on its nose, one on its back and we managed to bring it down."

Gertie was uninjured and was later reunited with a herd of Belted Galloways. They had been grazing on Redstone Marsh when they were shot at on Friday at about 3.30pm.

It jumped into the river and swam half-a-mile upstream before emerging by the Tontine pub. Owner Bob Lawrence, who runs a farm in Bayton, said Gertie was recovering from her ordeal at an undisclosed site.

She is one of several rare Belted Galloway cows which had been introduced to nature reserves in Wyre Forest to help control flora.

Mr Lawrence, who is also head warden at West Midland Safari Park, said: "She was one of three cows to be hit by pellets. It's such a shame this has happened because the scheme was going so well at Redstone.

"What these children did was senseless. The cow must have been in a real state to jump in the river."