These images show a Californian neighbourhood overrun by goats after they escaped from their enclosure, eating people’s plants and trees as cops stand by helpless to stop them.

The incident took place in the Shea Drive neighbourhood in the city of Pinole, which is located in the San Francisco Bay area.

The footage shows the goats munching on plants and tree branches right in front of the police, who were called to the scene.

A female police officer can be heard saying: “What do you do?”

A second police officer can then be heard chuckling and saying: “There is nothing you can do until the herder gets here!”

Newsflash obtained a statement from the Pinole Police Department on Tuesday, 25th July, saying: “Officers responded to the 1800 block of Shea Drive and assisted with re-containing goats that escaped their enclosure.”

The goats are understood to have eventually been rounded up and taken back to their enclosure. It is currently unclear how they managed to escape.

It is currently unclear who owns the goats but local media reported that the escape happened on the same day that the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) said that it would be replacing its herd of fire mitigation goats with a flock of sheep.

The BART herd first started with 100 goats, used to mitigate fire hazards for the past few years.

These animals were ‘hired’ to replace loud and sometimes disruptive heavy machinery and equipment that was used to remove dried grass.