A ROE deer that became stuck in metal gates of a Taunton property has been rescued by the RSPCA.

When a householder set off from home in her car in the early hours of Saturday, November 16, she didn’t get very far.

The driver was stunned to see a deer stuck in the automatic gates on her driveway, so she called the RSPCA for help.

RSPCA animal collection officer Paul Adams said: “When I arrived at the property, the female roe deer seemed firmly wedged between two of the metal uprights in one of the gates.

“The poor animal - who was around the size of a labrador - may have been there for some time as there was deer hair spread around the ground surrounding her, which was probably pulled out as she struggled to get free.

“When I looked more closely, I could see that her hip bones were preventing her from moving through the gates.

“In theory, she could have escaped by moving back the way she came, but her body was now also caught on the arm of the automated mechanism of the gate and it was probably very uncomfortable for her.

“She couldn’t move forward and she couldn’t go backwards.

“Luckily, I only needed to lift her a couple of inches to raise her over the obstruction and was soon able to free her from the clutches of the gate.

“Happily, having looked her over, she was uninjured, other than a few grazes and bruises.

“As the property was situated in a very rural area, surrounded by woodland, I was able to let the deer go straight away. She took one look at me and was off. This was a really happy ending but it could have ended very differently.”