Valentine's surprise for student nurses as pygmy goat appears on campus

Three student nurses spent Valentine's night looking a pygmy goat after the animal showed up on a university campus in North Staffordshire.

Jennifer Scragg, 19, Kathryn Ravenhill and Rosie Abercrombie, both 20, found the female wondering around near their lodgings at Keele University on Saturday.

They spend several hours coaxing the animal into a nearby bin shed after campus security, RSPCA officials and other students could not catch it.

They eventually managed to calm the goat down - and kept it overnight in a shed, where they took it in turns visiting it and feeding it carrots and egg fried rice.

Kathryn said: "We sat down and chatted to it with cups of tea. It was an unusual way to spend a Valentine’s night."

RSPCA staff returned to the campus on Sunday to collect the goat - who was subsequently christened Alfie.

An RSPCA spokesperson said: "The pygmy goat was scared and very cautious of humans and because of this unfortunately managed to evade our officer during the first rescue attempts on Saturday.

"We do not know how the goat came to be in the university grounds but we would like to thank the members of the public who helped to round her up on Sunday morning and keep her safe and secure until an officer returned to the site."

Alfie is now in the care of the RSPCA and the owner is being urged to get in touch.