A COW that broke loose from an auction mart yesterday was shot dead by police marksmen.

Attempts to recapture the cow after it broke free from Darlington Mart at 9am failed and it was killed by armed officers in Victoria Embankment.

The shooting has reignited calls for the auction mart to be moved to an out-of-town location.

The startled beast ran at terrified passers-by and damaged vehicles and street furniture before being shot.

Clare Haithwaite, who lives in Victoria Embankment, said: “I looked out of my window to see what was going on and saw a lad and a lass walking along the road and it started running for them.

“They hid behind a tree and people were shouting at them to get out of its way.

“It was really angry and was pawing at the ground. It hit a metal post and just snapped it straight in two with its strength – it just pinged apart.”

Farmers and mart workers used vehicles to pen the cow into Victoria Embankment and prevent it from heading towards the ring-road. Another cow was brought in to try to pacify the escaped beast and allow it to be recaptured, but that also failed.

The cow died from a single shot.

A number of the armed officers used the upstairs rooms at a house lived in by Damon Shaw, James Stringer and Abbie Cleminson.

Mr Shaw said: “It wasn’t what you expect to see first thing on a Monday morning.

“They knocked on our door and said ‘can we use your house to get a shot?’ It was weird, weird scenes.”

Local ward councillor Cyndi Hughes said she would be asking the mart owners how it escaped and would also be seeking answers from the police about whether the shooting of the animal was proportionate to the risks involved.

She said: “We were extremely lucky that no one was seriously injured. The sooner the cattle mart moves out of town, the better it will be for the residents of my ward and the people of Darlington.”

The mart is looking to build a £18m centre on the outskirts of Darlington, but has been hampered by falling land prices and the loss of Government funding.

A mart spokesman said: “This is one of the problems that you have when you have a town centre mart. It is not the place for it. We are pleased that no one was injured.”