CONCERNS have been raised over the safety of wild deer after one was knocked down in Renfrew and later euthanised.

The animal was found lying near Edgar Drive by members of the public last Wednesday morning.

After being driven to Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Centre, in Beith, by local resident Linda Erme, it was later determined that the deer would need to be put down, due to the severe injuries it had suffered.

Linda told The Gazette she was upset that the animal, which her 12-year-old daughter named Lily Rose, had been left to die on the road.

She said: “I knew it was very serious because, when the deer was trying to stand up in the street, her back legs were just going round in a circle.

“The folk at the wildlife rescue centre said she was hit by a car on the left side, as her left back leg was shattered.

“She had a spinal injury and was also blinded in the left eye, as it was all swollen and had a big contusion.

“The staff said her injuries had happened only a couple of hours earlier, so somebody had hit her that morning and left her lying on the road.”

The Gazette: The injured deer was found lying near Edgar Drive in Renfrew by members of the public The injured deer was found lying near Edgar Drive in Renfrew by members of the public

Mum-of-three Linda believes the destruction of local green space in the area has contributed to more deer wandering along busy roads in Renfrew.

She added: “A few years ago, you would hardly see any deer unless you were on the golf course but now you see them going through Ferry Village at night.

“It’s something that we need to watch out for now but a lot of people just speed up and down King’s Inch Road, so I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more often, to be honest.”

The incident follows calls for more to be done to protect wild deer after another was killed in Renfrew town centre in March.

Developments such as the Westway Airport Park, at Abbotsford Inch, next to Glasgow Airport, and the proposed Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside Project have been blamed for disturbing habitat where deer and other wildlife are found.

Experts at the Scottish SPCA said care should be taken by anyone who spots an injured animal in the wild.

Mike Flynn, the charity’s chief superintendent, told The Gazette: “While we do commend the good intentions in this case, we would never recommend a member of the public transports a wild animal without the help of an expert.

“Doing this puts people at risk and can cause unnecessary suffering to the animal.

“We would always recommend contacting our helpline and waiting for our fully-trained animal rescue officers.”

He added: “If anyone does come across an injured deer, or any other animal, they should contact us on 03000 999 999.”