A FAMILY who went to confront an intruder in their garden were surprised to find a young deer thrashing around in their swimming pool.

Gill Mead, 49, had been reading in bed when she heard movement in the garden of her home in High Street, Dilton Marsh, on Monday night.

Mrs Mead said: "It was gone midnight and I heard a sound like my little granddaughter's bicycle rolling down the slope. Then I thought there were prowlers in the garden.

"So I went to the window and the security light was on and I could hear splashing in the pool, so I shouted to my husband Paul 'there's someone in the swimming pool' but he just growled at me as he probably thought I was having a nightmare.

"Then I got my son Tom out of bed and they both went down the garden and saw this young stag."

Mr Mead, 53, and his son spent 15 minutes encouraging the animal towards the shallow end, before managing to grab it out by the horns.

Mrs Mead said: "It waited for a second before darting off. We don't know where it came from as we don't back onto any fields.

"The ironic thing was just that day I had been with my little granddaughter watching Bambi."