Shopper hit by rampaging wild deer in busy town centre - video

A wild deer made a mad dash for the Christmas sales - and managed to injure a woman on the busy high street in the process.

The woman, 24 was rushed to hospital with facial injuries after she was hit by the 4ft tall wild beast on Chelmsford High Street, Essex.

Sales shoppers were stunned by the extraordinary scene as the wild adult male deer charged through the busy area.

The confused animal was later spotted by drivers near junction 18 of the A12 - heading towards Colchester.

The woman was given first aid treatment for "facial lacerations and a black eye" and was taken to Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital where she was treated for a "minor head injury" and later discharged.

Mick McDonagh, manager of the High Chelmer shopping centre, said: "It tried to leap over a young lady and unfortunately hit her.

"She was obviously very shocked. I think she was concussed.

"I don't think she was actually able to talk about it. It was passers-by who actually told the paramedics what happened.

"It's certainly not something you expect to see."

The deer has not been seen since it galloped through the city centre on Sunday.

A spokesman for the East Anglian Ambulance Service said "We understand the deer, in its attempt to get away, barged into a number of people, sending some to the pavement.

"It also dazed itself when it hit a plate glass window.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "It [the deer] had found its way into unfamiliar territory and did what any wild animal would do in the circumstances."