Another sighting of the Darlington deer has caused a wave of frustration from residents about the loss of woodland in the town.

The deer has been spotted in several locations around Darlington over the past few months.

Residents blame the council for selling off land for development like the former Blackwell Grange golf course which was previously woodland populated by wildlife.

Responses to the Blackwell Grange plans from residents included 109 letters of objections and 11 letters of support.

Local campaigners have long stressed the need to protect the area. A 130,000-word study detailing the importance of the historic parkland was used to help abandon plans for homes in 2019.

Kate Saint, who lives in the West End of Darlington, described how upset she felt after seeing the small deer alone in the town.

She said: "Everybody is so upset about it, seeing it all alone.

"My nephew showed me that picture from Linden Avenue and it is so upsetting.

"The poor thing doesn't know where to go.

"It's all wrong. They (the council) have ruined it's habitat.

"The Darlington Borough Council is a disgrace.

"The people of the West End are up in arms. Land is sold to developers to put great big houses on it."

A Darlington Borough Council spokesperson said: "The council and developers work alongside expert biodiversity consultants and tree specialists to ensure habitats are protected and that there is minimal tree loss at new developments. 

"We are the only authority in the Tees Valley to employ an ecologist and we remain committed to creating rich, biodiverse environments which leave the natural environment in a better condition and increase the wildlife in the area."

The last official sighting of the Darlington deer was in February when Mike Lee came across the deer at the Dolphin Centre in the middle of town.

It was first reported after appearances at St Augustine's primary school on February 5.

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It was spotted in the shrubs on the edge of the school property and the children were kept inside at break time to avoid scaring it.

Remarkably, the deer was seen again the very next day in the same place.

As its popularity has grown more people have come forward with sightings.