Methane from cows’ farts and burps caused an explosion in a German town, police say.

Their flatulence and belching led to a build up of gas in the cow shed in Rasdorf.

The roof of the shed was damaged after a static electric charge sparked an explosion. One cow – of the 90 in the shed – was injured in the blast.

Police in Rasdorf told Reuters: “A static electric charge caused the gas to explode with flashes of flames.”

Cows are thought to produce up to 500 litres of methane a day.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. Agriculture is responsible for an estimated 14 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases and a significant portion of these emissions come from methane, which is thought to be 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.