Police dubbed a cow “Harry Moo-dini” after the famous escapist – because he sneaked out of a farm and onto a main road twice in a few hours.

Officers said the cow was like Houdini after it escaped onto the A23 twice on Friday night.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “Police were called at 7pm to a car park near to the junction with the A23 at Hickstead to concern for a loose cow.

Officers attended but by 7.20pm it had returned to its field.

“At 9.30pm police received another call that a cow was in a garden on London Road, Hickstead.

“By 9.50pm the cow was back in the field and a restaurant owner had managed to repair the fence to the field.”

On the same night – around the same time – officers were called to a pack of dog running around the A23 at Pyecombe.

An officer called it “animal magic”.