Residents came to the aid of a muntjac deer that got trapped between street railings in Oxford.

Residents of Friars Wharf, St Ebbe's, heard the animal's high-pitched cries of distress and called the RSPCA.

John Hayes, 63, of Jubilee Terrace, said: "I heard this cry and thought it was a child.

"But I realised it wasn't a normal scream."

Mr Hayes and his neighbours covered the deer's head with a blanket to try to keep it calm while the RSPCA arrived.

The deer, an adult male, was taken by RSPCA staff to St Tiggywinkles animal hospital, near Aylesbury, for treatment.

Sue Stocker, who runs the hospital, said: "When he came in, his hooves were bleeding and we treated him for shock. He's had antibiotics and we've now stabilised him because he's had such a traumatic experience."

She said staff would need to make sure the animal did not develop pressure necrosis, a condition where an animal's skin can become swollen and infected.

She praised the quick thinking of people who placed the blanket over the deer's head.

She said: "That was probably the best thing they could have done for him. He's lucky that he's been brought in so quickly. We just have to hope he doesn't have any internal injuries."

The deer will be kept at St Tiggywinkles for about a week, then released near the area where he was found.

Muntjac deer are about the size of a medium dog and are becoming a more common sight in city and town centres.

In a similar incident in August last year, a muntjac died of fright after running amok in Banbury town centre, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.