A dead stag with no antlers was found in Colney Heath and reported to the council as a possible act of animal cruelty.

The stag was found last night in Barley Mow Lane, between Colney Heath and Tyttenhanger.

Multiple people reported the stag to Cllr Chris Brazier, believing it had been killed and had its antlers stolen. He reported the body to St Albans City and District Council and Veolia, the council's waste contractor.

Cllr Brazier said: "The horns have been removed and the carcass just dumped on the road. It's just another act of vandalism on our wildlife. People don't care.

"What are the stag horns going to be worth to them compared to what they're worth to the beast?

"They've just taken a life away needlessly and dumped it, which is terrible."

However the council has said the stag most likely died from being hit by a car.

A council spokesperson said: "The stag was too big for Veolia to take away. They just moved it to the side of the road.

"There's a special contractor that can deal with dead animals called Novus Environmental. They'll be on the scene today if they haven't been already, as the report came through too late last night.

"It appears the stag was just hit by a car. We don't know for sure but there was nothing particularly untoward."

The stag's body will most likely be taken to a pet cemetery in Royston.