A farmer in Co. Down is recovering from head injuries sustained when he was attacked by a bull on Saturday, January 6.

It is understood that the man was working with cows when he was attacked by a bull in the pen on his farm near Dromora.

A local councillor, Paul Rankin, confirmed that the man was taken to hospital – but that the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance was also on the scene, landing in the car park of the First Dromore Presbyterian Church.

He told AgriLand that the farmer could not travel in the NI Air Ambulance for medical reasons and was therefore transported to the hospital by a regular ambulance.

He was changing tags or something when he turned his back on the bull for a second. The bull flipped him over the gate and out of the pen.

“He suffered head injuries when he hit the concrete, but he remained fully conscious. He then managed to call for help on his mobile,” the DUP councillor said.

Rankin explained that the situation could have been much worse if the bull had not flipped the farmer over the gate.

It is understood that the incident happened early in the morning, as the air ambulance was on the scene by approximately 8:00am, the councillor added.

As it stands, the farmer is currently recovering in hospital and it is hoped that he will return home in the near future. He suffered considerable injuries as a result of the attack, but has made progress in his recovery, Rankin said.