A wild boar that had been seen several times around Chippenham this month has been found dead close to where it was hit by a car.

The collision with the boar on the A420 was reported to police on Friday.

The night before, David Beard had been celebrating his 50th birthday at the Neeld Arms Inn at Grittleton. He was being driven home to Chippenham when the boar ran out into the road.

The accident happened near to the Allington Farm Shop at 10.45pm. Mr Beard suffered a broken nose when the car’s airbag activated.

He said: “There was nothing there at all and the next thing I knew it was just standing there. It was quite huge.”

He and the driver were unable to find the boar in the dark so he went looking for it on Friday, after the snow cleared.

“I found the poor thing lying in a ditch, it’s very sad,” he said.

“It is about five feet long and two feet tall. It did an awful lot of damage to the car. It was a really good day and then that happened – what a way to end it.”

Earlier this month, dog walker Paul Gardner, of Brook Street, Chippenham, said he came across a wild boar between Sheldon School and Chippenham Football Club.

He said: “It started charging towards me and I screamed like a girl.”

His scare came after several sightings the week before. Police received calls saying a wild boar was on the loose on the A420 and there was a sighting near the Allington Farm Shop.