A dozen young cows had to be herded off the main road to Royal Wootton Bassett this morning.

The call-out provided a source of hilarity for the officer in charge of Swindon Police's Facebook account, who described the break-out on the A3102 Swindon Road as a mass gathering. 

Turning - on the hoof - to a series of often-milked puns, the officer said: "The group clearly hadn't herd the news about social distancing and although our officers engaged and explained it all went in one ear and out the udder.

"After a joint effort between police, members of public and the owner of the cows we finally mooved them out of harm's way and back to the safety of their field."