Escaped cows:

Farmers join forces to round up runaways.

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Roads remained closed yesterday during a lengthy Angus operation to round up 120 cattle that sparked chaos after escaping from a field on Thursday night.

The animals fled a field at Drumclune, near Kirriemuir, and some charged around six miles to the edge of Forfar, with at least two cars colliding with the runaway herd.

Local farmers assisted Fletcherfield Farm, owner of the animals, in rounding up the runaways, with around half of the cattle being captured during the night.

But as the round-up operation continued yesterday, it emerged that potential disaster had been avoided when the animals continued their stampede south towards Forfar and did not make it on to the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen road.

The incident led to at least one animal having to be put down after it was struck by a vehicle, and two cars sustained significant damage after motorists came upon the unexpected obstacles on the back road between Forfar and Kirriemuir.

The animals escaped from their field around 7pm, breaking through what was understood to be a secure gate.

Panic-stricken, they headed towards Forfar, crossing the Horniecross junction and the Forestmuir flyover above the A90.

Some were found in fields along the route and a number ended up on the Forfar golf driving range.

News of the outbreak spread quickly on social media, but not swiftly enough to prevent accidents, although no one was seriously hurt.

One motorist who encountered some of the runaways, believed to be young Limousin cattle, said: “Some of them were completely spooked and because they were black you couldn’t see them until you were on them. If they’d got on to the dual carriageway it could have been absolute carnage.”

Further catastrophe was also avoided when a group of around 30 arrived at the edge of Forfar, but they went along Kirriemuir Road and were ushered into a field at Turfbeg Farm.

Police closed off the southbound approach to Forfar at the Quilkoe junction and the Forfar to Kirriemuir road between Horniecross and the Zoar for much of yesterday.

some of them were completely spooked and because they were black you couldn’t see them until you were on them

Picture: Kris Miller. Some of the escaped cows on the Turfbeg public footpath yesterday.