Pictured: Frightened stag leaps café table as it runs amok in Italian town

Spooked by thunder from recent summer storms, this 24-stone stag launched itself through a packed café yesterday as it fled in terror.

Shocked customers scrambled in panic as the large deer dashed through the city of Bolzano in northern Italy.

The deer springs over a table and chairs as frightened customers scatter

Passers-by look on in shock as the giant stag leaps the cafe table

The frightened animal crashed through several shop-front stands and smashed windows as police vainly tried to catch it.

Two people were left with minor injures as hunters, fire chiefs and police officers chased the deer throughout the town.

It was eventually cornered and shot dead in a car park by local forestry officials.

Hunters, firemen and police chased the animal through town before it was eventually shot dead

Heinrich Erhard, director of the forestry commission’s hunting and fishing department, said: ‘We had no choice but to shoot the deer. I reflected on it for a while but I had no option.

‘I did consider using a tranquilliser gun but we would have had to wait and there was no time it would have taken us 90 minutes to get hold of them and there were already two people injured.’