Oh deer! Muntjac gets stuck on M&S escalator

This is not just any animal rescue, this is an M&S animal rescue.

Hillside Animal Sanctuary was called out to Marks & Spencer in Norwich after staff found a muntjac stuck within the glass barrier of a ground-floor escalator.

The shop, on Rampant Horse Street, was temporarily closed to help reduce stress on the deer, which has been named Lucy and is now recovering at one of the sanctuary's sites.

Hillside founder Wendy Valentine said the rescue, which happened at about 17:30 BST on Tuesday, was "certainly one to remember".

An M&S spokesperson said: "We're grateful to our Norwich store colleagues for their swift response when an unexpected visitor entered the store on Tuesday.

"The team moved quickly to keep the muntjac deer calm, and with the help of Hillside Animal Sanctuary, it was safely rescued."

Ian Haywood was sent to free the female deer, which was then transported to the sanctuary with only minor injuries.

Valentine said: "When Ian arrived, he said that M&S staff had done everything possible to keep the little deer as calm and quiet as possible, including shutting the store until help arrived.

"He was then able to safely free her from the glass barrier without causing further distress."

Since it was founded in 1995, Hillside has given refuge to more than 2,500 horses, ponies and donkeys.

Valentine said: "We are now called out to countless emergency deer rescues, often receiving several calls in a single day from members of the public who find road-injured deer or deer trapped in unusual and often life-threatening situations."

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