Northern invaders

A QUICK-thinking resident prevented a herd of 15 cows from trampling Woodcote’s cricket pitch.

Bradley Stewart was driving along Reading Road on Saturday morning when he spotted the livestock roaming in the middle of the street towards the village green.

They had escaped from Church Farm on the other side of the road, apparently through a gate which was still swinging open.

Mr Stewart is from a farming background so was able to carefully block the cows’ path then nudge them back into their field before shutting the gate behind them.

Their owner Pat Booker thanked him for his efforts, saying the animals recently arrived from Lancaster and were clearly curious about their new surroundings.

The incident sparked mirth on the Wonderful Woodcote Facebook page, with Mr Stewart’s mother Amanda suggesting there had been an “illegal herd immunity party”.

One commenter said the cows’ behaviour was “udderly unacceptable” while another said commenters shouldn’t “milk” the joke. Clearly they all found it very a-moo-sing.