A bullock roaming an area of Norfolk countryside may have swum across a river, locals have suggested.

The animal, which charged a farm worker and injured his dog, is said to be loose on farmland at Gillingham, near Beccles.

The landowner, who has asked not to be named, says he does not know where the animal has come from but suspects it may have swum across the nearby river Waveney onto his land.

William Beattie, of WMB Livestock, encountered the bullock as he was moving a flock of sheep in the area.

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He said he was unaware the animal was loose and that it charged him and his collie.

“It missed me by six inches but trampled my dog," he said.

The dog needed treatment for severe bruising by a vet.

Mr Beattie, who lives in Barnby, said the bullock had also gone after another worker on the farm, adding: “The beast is a danger.”

The incident happened at Hill Farm on Wednesday.