SPOTTED crossing the railway tracks in Sankey Bridges last night, Tuesday, was a sprightly deer.

A resident was out having a stroll when she sighted the majestic animal at 5.30pm in the evening.

“Whilst out walking alone and enjoying the sunshine, I was crossing the railway line at the back of Sankey bridges,” she said. “I spotted a deer on the railway line.

“What a lovely, unexpected surprise on my way home.”

The roe deer, seen crossing the trainline, is described by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust as an ‘opportunistic’ breed of herbivore.

A spokesperson from the organisation said: “Roe deer are solitary animals for the most part.

“This deer was probably exploring areas where local residents haven’t seen them previously or are visiting at different times of the day.

“It’s great that people in Warrington are able to enjoy one of our native mammals so close to home.”

The species enjoy eating ‘leaves and buds from trees, as well as ferns, grasses and heathers’.

“With our urban areas expanding, all of these factors increase the likelihood of us seeing them,” A Cheshire Wildlife Trust spokesperson added.

“Despite the positive increase in our deer populations, the UK is statistically one of the most nature depleted countries in the world – a staggering 41 per cent of our wild plants and animal species are reducing.

“Sightings like this however shows that there is a huge resilience in nature to restore itself, which gives a lot of hope.”