Reindeer cause traffic chaos on major road in Suffolk after escaping Santa's grotto

Police tried to catch them for several hours before they wandered off the road of their own accord
Britain's Only Reindeer Herd Prepare For Christmas In The Cairngorms National Park
Reindeer caused delays after blocking a major road in Suffolk on Sunday
Getty Images
Lydia Chantler-Hicks4 December 2023

Drivers in Suffolk faced major delays on Sunday after reindeer escaped a Santa's grotto and wandered onto a dual carriageway.

The A11 had to be shut in both directions, between Thetford and the A1101 due to the incident.

Police were called at 2.20pm on Sunday, to reports two reindeer were on the A11 near Barton Mills.

National Highways East initially said on X, formerly Twitter, around 4.45pm there were "now a large number of deer on the road and unfortunately no traffic can pass".

Police later confirmed just two deer were involved in the incident.

Suffolk Police closed the A11 and tried to catch the animals, which eventually left the road around three hours later, at 5:20pm. The carriageway was then reopened.

The force said the animals were finally captured by around midday on Monday.

The reindeer are believed to have escaped from a nearby Father Christmas' grotto.

Reindeer are found in the Arctic tundra, and forests in Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska and Canada. They are known as caribou, in North America.

The UK's only herd of free-ranging reindeer is believed to live in Scotland's Cairngorm mountains.

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