Farmer 'devastated' by fatal bull attack

The owner of a bull that attacked and killed a man and critically injured his wife has spoken of his shock and distress at the incident.

Farmer Paul Waterfall, of Underhill Farm, in Stanton-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire, owned the bull that attacked the couple as they walked along a public footpath through a livestock field in Leake Road at about 4.30pm on Friday.

The 63-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, Nottinghamshire Police said.

His 67-year-old wife managed to get to the nearby road just after the attack, where she flagged down a passing woman motorist who contacted emergency services.

She was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, where she remained in a critical but stable condition today, a force spokesman said.

Mr Waterfall, who is married with two children and kept 61 heifers and a bull in the field where the couple were attacked, expressed his sadness over the incident.

In a statement released through Nottinghamshire Police last night, he said: "My family and I are deeply upset by what has happened.

"We are in shock and trying to come to terms with what I can only describe as a devastating and tragic incident. Our thoughts are with the couple's family at this time."

The couple, from Glen Parva in Leicestershire, were believed to be seasoned walkers and their two sons travelled to the East Midlands on Saturday to be at their mother's bedside.

The man's elderly parents have also been informed about his death but police were not yet in a position to release any identities as not all relatives have been informed.

It is not clear why the bull attacked the couple and, after being contained in a shed just after the attack, the animal was put down.

Detective Inspector Melanie Bowden said: "The couple's two sons and their other family members are absolutely devastated by this tragic incident.

"We are continuing to support them as they struggle to come to terms with what has happened."

The coroner has been informed of the man's death and a post-mortem examination is expected to take place this week.

A joint investigation by Nottinghamshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive is under way into the circumstances surrounding the incident.