Rampaging herd of cows have a field day

Early morning shock for residents after cattle escape and take to the roads before being rounded up

A rampaging herd of cows on the streets of Kirkcaldy gave residents a shock yesterday morning.

Police beefed up their presence in the north of the town in a bid to round up the runaway herd as hordes of children made their way to school.

The animals broke free from a field at Baird’s Farm near Cardenden sometime after 7am and spent around three hours on the loose before eventually being contained in a garden at the top of Fair Isle Road.

Five police vehicles blocked off the site to prevent the animals causing chaos by straying onto the busy dual carriageway at nearby Chapel Level as farmer Robin Baird arrived with a tractor and trailer to take them away.

Some officers had their batons drawn as the herd was coaxed into the vehicle to the delight of bystanders, who applauded as the door was slammed shut.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt as the cows hoofed it several miles from the farm, through the countryside to the outskirts of Kirkcaldy.

Police Scotland then began receiving calls at around 7.20am from alarmed members of the public who reported the beasts running through Wester Bogie Road, Blairmore Road, Redcraigs, Glamis Road, Forres Drive, Brodick Road, Culzean Crescent, Ellon Road, Templehall, Lindores Drive, Broom Road and Rabbit Braes.

Two were also spotted in Sauchenbush Road, closer to the town centre.

As they were herded into the garden at Fair Isle Road, one woman joked: “They’ve been having a field day!”

She said she had received a call from her husband at 8.30am after he narrowly avoided a collision with a wild-eyed cow in his car.”

The owner of the house where the animals were contained declined to comment but a number of plants in her garden had clearly been trampled.

Farmer Robin Baird said he had no idea how the cows had escaped but added: “I checked them at 6.30 this morning and they were all in the field.

“I was away working at my cousin’s farm when I got a call from the police saying my cattle were out.

“They knew from their ear tag number that they were mine.”

Local councillor Susan Leslie praised the police for a “fantastic job” and added: “It is a humorous situation but also a potentially dangerous one.”

Pictures: Steven Brown. Above and below: The cows were herded into a garden in Fair Isle Road.