The couple were attacked by a bull while walking on a public footpath

A walker has died and a woman is critically ill after they were attacked by a bull.

The pair, who police believe were a husband and wife, were gored by the animal while walking along a public footpath in Stanford on Soar, 2km (one mile) north-east of Loughborough.

The village lies on the Leicestershire-Nottinghamshire border and the couple are thought to have been visitors to the area.

The pair were walking across a livestock field about 4.30pm yesterday when the attack occurred.

A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said: “The woman, who was seriously injured, managed to get to the road where she flagged down a passing motorist for assistance.

“A female driver called the ambulance service. The injured woman was taken to the Queen Medical’s Centre, in Nottingham, where she remains in a critical condition.

“Police are in the process of tracing the couple’s relatives.”

The animal’s owner contained the bull in a shed after the attack.

Police said a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive will now take place into the circumstances of the incident.