Raging bull shot dead in brewery

China shops are normally considered the traditional home of bovine chaos. However, yesterday a bull shot dead after it went berserk in Yorkshire brewery during an advertising stunt had hard-bitten copy writers struggling for an apt cliche.

The bull, a huge Aberdeen Angus, was shot dead by police marksmen after it went on the rampage during an ale advert. Photographers and brewery officials fled in fear as the normally docile beast went wild at Theakston's brewery in Masham, North Yorkshire.

The prize animal, from Lancashire, was supposed to be the live centrepiece of a photo-shoot for Theakston's new product, Black Bull beer. Instead, as the bull's owner shouted for calm in the early stages of the chaos, he was knocked over by the charging animal and had to be taken to hospital.

Fearing that more than spilt beer would be lost as the animal went wild, local vets were called as well as police marksmen. One vet said it was impossible to get near the bull to give it a sedative. However, police marksmen did not hesitate and the animal was shot dead.

A spokesman for T & R Theakston said: "We don't know why the bull behaved like it did, but something spooked it to make it go wild. We very much regret what took place."

The spokesman said he did not know if a further attempt would be made to film another bull in the brewery.