Felpham deer beheading: Company will work with police

West Sussex Wildlife Protection spoke out after the injured deer was allegedly dragged off a path and decapitated on a site in Stanhorn Lane in Felpham on Friday (January 17).

The deer was found lying in the road by two plumbers who believed it may have been hit by a car.

The pair brought the animal to the path, out of the way of traffic, covered it in a blanket, gave it a bowl of water and called the relevant authorities.

One plumber, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We just came across it as it was in the morning and we moved it off the road.

“It’s out of order. It was alive 100 per cent.

“It was alive in the afternoon.

“They took it home for dinner — they can’t be doing that, it’s just not right. There’s kids about.

“Someone should have been out sooner.”

After a while the men left the deer to get back to work but when West Sussex Wildlife Protection arrived, the deer had gone.

It was later found without a head in a nearby building.

Ian Wallace, managing director of Hampshire Homes, said: “We are appalled. We will, of course, help the authorities in any way we can.”

West Sussex Wildlife Protection has condemned the beheading and said it believed the deer was to be taken home and eaten.

A spokesman for the organisation said: “This is disgusting behaviour towards an injured deer.

“We will never know if this deer was alive when it was beheaded, the time line for this incident does not ring true.

“Deer can suffer stress myopathy and also concussion. We believe it had been in a collision with a car, but after a few days deer can recover.

“If people find injured deer they should phone the police, who have a list of people to work from.

“We also deal with a large number of deer yearly and this has been the worst so far.”