The sighting draws similarities to an infamous incident involving a white stag nearly four years ago

A deer has been spotted running around the Litherland Tesco car park. A reader contacted the ECHO to report that the deer was “running in and out of the car park” of the superstore on Hawthorne Road in the south Sefton town.

A video sent by the reader shows the deer skirting around the edge of the car park. The reader said he saw the deer running around at around 5.30pm today, Sunday, and that the police had been called because he feared there could be an accident involving the deer and a vehicle.

While deer traditionally live in forests, moors and parkland, the RSPCA has previously said “they are becoming more common in urban environments across the UK, for example, they have been seen in gardens, golf courses, roads and railway lines”.

There is a possibility the deer found its way into the car park from nearby Rimrose Valley Country Park. The deer in the video appears to be a roe deer, which is common to the country park between Litherland and Crosby.

The sighting of the deer in an unlikely habitat may result in some ECHO readers recalling another incident involving the woodland animals on the streets of Merseyside. The people of Bootle were shocked when they saw a rare white deer roaming the streets in September 2021.

But the decision was made by Merseyside Police to “euthanise” the deer after growing concerns it might be dangerous for motorists and pedestrians. Armed police had secured the deer on an industrial estate, but with darkness approaching, the deer was killed after a nine-hour standoff.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said while the deer could have been sedated, “this needs to be done with caution in a public area, such as this one, as the deer could startle and run when hit by the dart”. Merseyside Police said the deer was euthanised after several attempts to tranquilise the animal failed.

At the time, deputy chief constable Ian Critchley said: “At the heart of our decision-making was first of all the safety of the public, and the risk that a distressed deer in a built up environment presented to motorists, cyclists, pedestrians.”

According to the British Deer Society, road traffic incidents involving deer present major problems both in the UK and on the European mainland. Although exact figures are unknown, it is estimated that annually the number of deer killed or injured is likely to exceed 40,000.

The British Deer Society said: “They present one of the main causes of mortality among wild deer populations in the UK. Also, a high proportion of deer which are hit by cars are not killed outright: many must be put down at the roadside, while others escape to die later of their injuries.

“In addition, deer vehicle collisions cause substantial damage to cars and numerous human injuries as well as several human fatalities each year.”

If people see a deer roaming the streets or outside their natural habitat, they are advised to call the police.

If you come across deer while driving:

  • Don’t veer for deer – taking evasive action may put you or other road users at increased risk of swerving into oncoming traffic or unstable off-road surfaces

If a deer is hit while driving:

  • Park your car as safely as possible
  • Put your hazard lights on
  • If people are injured, call an ambulance
  • Call the police