Spotted! Young deer seen grazing by a railway line close to York Station

A resident who lives opposite the Railway Control Centre in the middle of York took this photo of two young deer searching for food by railway lines near the station.

Dave Carr caught the image close to the footbridge on Cinder Lane.

RSPCA Inspector Geoff Edmond has confirmed that they are young roe deer and can be regular visitors to the city centre but are rarely caught on camera.

Geoff told David Dunning’s Late Late Show on YorkMix Radio that they pick quiet times to come in and these two have probably wandered in alongside the railway line and ended up at a quiet bit of track.

Only occasional freight trains pass this spot on trips that avoid passing through the station platforms.

He says his advice is leave them well alone, enjoy seeing them but keep your dogs on a lead.

Watch out on the roads for deer at this time of year

The highest-risk times for deer collisions are from sunset to midnight, and the hours shortly before and after sunrise. According to Highways England, collisions also tend to peak around May as deer search for new territories.

If you see an injured deer on the roadside, pull over at the next safe place, and call the police on 101, or 999 if the situation means lives could be at risk.

Officers will be able to determine the best course of action for the animal if it is still alive.”

If you hit a deer while driving, your priorities, in this order, are:

• Keep yourself and anyone with you as safe as you can
• Park your car in the safest place with hazard lights on
• Call an ambulance if human injuries warrant it
• Call the police, giving as precise a location as you can

Don’t approach live deer – they may hurt you, or run across traffic causing another collision.