A small deer was put down yesterday after it became stuck in a gate at Corpus Christi College.

The female Muntjac deer became trapped in a heavy iron fence at the college around 8.20am.

It was crying in pain and was in extreme distress, suffering from severe injuries from the bars on its sides. 

RSPCA officers made a number of failed efforts to free it before eventually deciding that it should be put out of its misery.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "Sadly the Muntjac was very badly injured, extremely distressed and in terrible pain due to severe wounds on its sides and possible internal injuries.

"Any attempt to move the Muntjac would have resulted in more stress to the animal and it is unlikely it would have survived.

"Therefore our inspector considered that the kindest thing to do was to put the animal to sleep." 

A neighbour who saw the deer said: "It was screaming. There were people standing around watching it. I think they were agitating it.

"I have asked the college porters if they knew about it, and they said they did."

A porter at the college reported that the gardeners at Corpus had been trying to free the deer before the RSPCA arrived.

Wild Muntjac deer are common to Cambridge.