THESE CCTV pictures show the moment when a panicking wild deer ran into a crowded Chelmsford city centre on Sunday afternoon knocking over shoppers and leaving a woman with cuts to the face.
The animal sprang into the High Street as thousands were on the third day of bargain hunting, before it dashed from the Stone Bridge across to New London Road, after which it disappeared.
A Chelmsford woman in her twenties was treated by one of the first aid team from High Chelmer Shopping Centre after the four feet tall red deer tried to jump over her outside Superdrug.
The injured woman was further treated by paramedics for cuts to the face and a big bruise over her eye. She was taken for further treatment at Broomfield Hospital, but later sent home, according to the East of England Ambulance Service.
Police said the animal was briefly spotted on CCTV (pictured) before calls started coming in from motorists claiming a deer was on the Colchester-bound carriageway of the A12.
A police spokesman told the Chronicle: "We set up a search and road blocks, but the animal was subject to no further sightings. It had found its way into unfamiliar territory and did what any wild animal would do in the circumstances."
An ambulance spokesman added: "We understand the deer in its attempt to get away , barged into a number of people sending some to the pavement. It also dazed itself when it hit a plate glass window.
"The young woman was treated for minor facial injuries then taken by us to Broomfield Hospital."
The incident caused a stir on social networking website Twitter, with dozens of people Tweeting what had happened. One Twitter user even set up a spoof account as the "Chelmsford Deer" and started Tweeting about other its alleged antics.
Back in 2005 another deer ran riot in the High Street but was restrained by fire fighters and released back into the wild by the RSPCA. That time nobody was hurt.
The animal sprang into the High Street as thousands were on the third day of bargain hunting, before it dashed from the Stone Bridge across to New London Road, after which it disappeared.
A Chelmsford woman in her twenties was treated by one of the first aid team from High Chelmer Shopping Centre after the four feet tall red deer tried to jump over her outside Superdrug.
The injured woman was further treated by paramedics for cuts to the face and a big bruise over her eye. She was taken for further treatment at Broomfield Hospital, but later sent home, according to the East of England Ambulance Service.
Police said the animal was briefly spotted on CCTV (pictured) before calls started coming in from motorists claiming a deer was on the Colchester-bound carriageway of the A12.
A police spokesman told the Chronicle: "We set up a search and road blocks, but the animal was subject to no further sightings. It had found its way into unfamiliar territory and did what any wild animal would do in the circumstances."
An ambulance spokesman added: "We understand the deer in its attempt to get away , barged into a number of people sending some to the pavement. It also dazed itself when it hit a plate glass window.
"The young woman was treated for minor facial injuries then taken by us to Broomfield Hospital."
The incident caused a stir on social networking website Twitter, with dozens of people Tweeting what had happened. One Twitter user even set up a spoof account as the "Chelmsford Deer" and started Tweeting about other its alleged antics.
Back in 2005 another deer ran riot in the High Street but was restrained by fire fighters and released back into the wild by the RSPCA. That time nobody was hurt.
