Image copyright Allison McGrath Image caption Two stags were photographed on the outskirts of Newry on Sunday morning

A stag which was on the loose in Newry, County Down, has been shot dead by police marksmen.

The animal was in the St Patrick's Avenue area of the city.

Police have said specially trained firearms officers dealt with the incident and that attempts were made to safely and humanely manage the animal.

"Regrettably officers were required to shoot the stag as it had become very agitated and posed a risk to the public," a spokesman said.

Image copyright Jim Flynn Image caption The animal was in the St Patrick's Avenue area of Newry

David Wilson from the USPCA said the stag had been in a densely populated area of the city and that he was unsure whether the animal was wild or farmed.

Mr Wilson added that deer in built-up areas are not common as it is not their natural habitat and he said when they are out of their own environment, they can be unpredictable.

Local musician Allison McGrath photographed two deer on the outskirts of Newry on Sunday morning and reported them to the PSNI as she thought they could have caused an accident.

She told the BBC News NI the pair jumped off the road into a field of horses, panicking them.

She said she had never seen deer in the area before and is concerned for the safety of the other deer she photographed, assuming that the shot deer was one of those she saw.

Last November, an armed police response unit shot dead a wild stag in the grounds of a County Antrim school after several attempts to safely and humanely manage the animal failed.

The Police Ombudsman has been informed of the incident in Newry.