Loose horses 'cause traffic havoc' in Hartlepool

Horses tethered illegally by the side of a Hartlepool road have been removed by council bailiffs.

The council said the five animals were breaking loose and straying onto Brenda Road, causing "havoc with traffic".

They will be kept in stables for 14 days and, if they are not claimed in that time, will then be rehomed.

A council spokeswoman said that horses did not make good pets, but more and more people seemed to be getting them on a whim because they were cheap.

She added: "Horses are often tethered near busy roads and it worries us that they could pose a serious risk to public safety should they break free.

"They have also been known to bite or kick members of the public.

"We also have concerns about the general welfare of many of these illegally grazing horses and the conditions in which they are being kept."