AN ANXIOUS farmer is desperately trying to trace a calf which fell out of a trailer on the way to his farm.

Forty-year-old Jon Tainton, of Stoulton House Farm in Hallow, near Worcester, bought two black and white Hereford cross calves on Saturday from the organic dairy farm RG Murray at Grafton Flyford, near Upton Snodsbury.

However he said as they were being transported from the village to his farm in Hallow, one of the calves fell out of the trailer. The driver only noticed as he arrived in Hallow at about 12.20pm and saw the door of the trailer was open.

Mr Tainton has since been frantically ringing vets and farms in the area as well as the police, who said they had received a call from a motorist of a sighting of a calf at the Claines roundabout.

The farmer - who has about 120 cattle at his farm in Hallow - rushed to the scene but there was no sign of it.

Later on Saturday he called at a farm in Claines near The Mug House pub, where the owner said a woman in a white Land Rover had earlier turned up saying she had picked up a calf asking if it belonged to them.

Mr Tainton said when the farm owner said it was not, they said they would look after it for the time being.

Now he is keen for the person who picked up the calf to get in touch or anyone else who may know of its whereabouts.

"I'm really upset and really concerned but a lot more relieved now I know the calf has been picked up," he added.

"It's only a week old now and is going to be fearful and needs to be with someone who knows what they're doing."

Anyone with information can contact police on 08457 444888, quoting reference 293S/070505.