'It's common sense' How to manage cows roaming in the street

On a bright afternoon on Minchinhampton common in Gloucestershire, ramblers, golfers, fliers of kites and model aircraft were enjoying the midsummer sun- and the sight of the Highland cattle roaming freely.

- Steven Morris

"They're wonderful, aren't they?" said Mary Griffiths, who was searching for bee orchids in the knee-high grass, careful to dodge the hooves of nearby cattle. "You learn to live alongside them. If you don't disturb them, they don't disturb you. It's a matter of using common sense. If there are calves around, you have to be extra careful but they don't cause a problem."

Cows are in the headlines after a Surrey police car rammed a 10-month-old escaped calf, Beau Lucy, in Staines-upon-Thames. Footage of the incident caused outrage, with the RSPCA calling the tactic "disproportionate" and the wildlife presenter Chris Packham asking: "What sort of monster rams a calf?" James Cleverly, the home secretary, asked for a "full, urgent explanation".