A CALF on Minchinhampton Common was killed following a collision with a police car racing towards an emergency in Berkeley - and its mother was hit and killed by a van the following morning.

The calf died after being hit by a police car heading in the direction of Berkeley at 9.30pm yesterday. Then this morning, the calf's mother was hit by a van on Cirencester Road at around 6.30am and passed away.

The police car was responding to a grade one emergency call (the highest grading) relating to a domestic incident in Berkeley when it struck the calf, causing significant damage to the vehicle.

The officers in the vehicle were unharmed. Inspector Andy Poole said it was the first police car to have struck a cow on the common.

A police spokesman said: "The officer involved was travelling in order to support colleagues dealing with an emergency incident.

"He was not driving with blue lights or sirens as he was some way off but was heading in that direction in case they required backup.

"He has an excellent driving record and is a very experienced and competent officer, who has just been requalified in March as part of a general refresher that all officers complete.

"This accident was very unfortunate and the officer will not be suspended from driving duties.

"This is a very sad incident that has caused everyone involved considerable distress."

Insp Poole told the Gazette: "There are a number of cows on the Common at the moment and they're extremely skittish,"

"People need to be aware that a cow not on the road could turn around and move in front of a car, causing significant damage."

Insp Poole said he would be sending a message to all officers reminding them to be wary on the stretch of road.

Though the speed limit of the road is 40mph, he advised that this speed would generally be unsafe at this time due to the presence of cows by the road.

Mark Dawkins, the hayward to the Commons, said: "The cow was looking for its calf this morning and placed itself in danger.

"It's not the first time it has happened.

"I would urge drivers to slow down, particularly with the sun being low in the mornings."

Around 500 cattle graze the land on Minchinhampton, Selsley and Rodborough commons, near Stroud between May and October.

Drivers are therefore being advised by safety groups to stick to an advisory 30mph limit across the commons while the cows are free roaming, as the cattle can be unpredictable and are often difficult to see during the night.