While they had not originally intended to investigate the death, a spokesperson for Hertfordshire police told BuzzFeed News that following a strong reaction from the public, they have now dispatched a team of rural officers to the village of Sandon, where the incident took place.

The officers will "collect the goose" in order to determine the cause of its death, the spokesperson said.

Reports that the goose was shot are currently based only on eyewitness accounts.

Asked if this means there are plans to exhume the goose, which has been buried by the village pond, the spokesperson said it was important that a post-mortem was conducted by the Royal Veterinary College to confirm the shooting.

Following the post-mortem, the spokesperson said, Hertfordshire police will be working with the RSPCA to decide the best course of action.

Officers are also working with villagers to piece together an account of what happened.