RESIDENTS have shared their outrage after a wild animal was found lying on the road over the weekend.

Police rushed to the scene on Saturday evening following a report of an injured deer on Highfield Road, Southampton.

It comes after a dog walker saw a deer roaming the area earlier in the day, near to Burgess road.

While one resident said they heard a gun shot, another said they believe the deer was hit by a car.

Nearby resident Vanessa Beecham said: "I went to my window because I saw the blue flashing light of the police car and heard a shot sometime later.

"We don’t know who alerted the police but the lovely police woman stayed watching over the deer.

"Deer have been spotted a lot on the Common in the last week."

Another said: "Cars are driving like maniacs at the moment because they think they are the only thing in the road."

Lorraine Loizou said: "I saw a deer on Saturday at about 11.30am. It shot past me as I was running and headed into the area that has been cleared recently.

"It was a shock as I walk my dogs and run on the common daily and have never seen a deer."

The RSPCA said they did not receive any reports but said over 74,000 deer vehicle collisions occur every year, according to research.

A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary said: "We were called at 8.17pm on Saturday, 2 May to a report of an injured deer on Highfield Road.

"Officers contacted a Humane Animal Dispatcher who attended to take over the incident."