Horses left near A66 took three days to capture

Two men were seen leaving three colts at the site, near the A66

Three young horses left near the A66 took more than three days to round up safely during lockdown, a committee has heard.

Councillors were told how a "nasty" accident was avoided near Hartburn, Stockton, after the animals were left to roam wild near the trunk road. 

The incident was revealed as part of an ongoing probe into fly-grazed horses.

Cleveland Police said there had been 21 horse-related calls in Stockton since March, three logged as serious.

One incident resulted in the death of two horses and significant damage to a vehicle.

Elderly couple injured

The case involving the colts happened in April when the animals were left near Hartburn Six Fields over a weekend, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The two men who left them there have not been caught.

Temporary barriers were set up to stop the animals getting on to the dual carriageway.

Council officer Mark Berry said the young horses were "running loose" which sparked public safety concerns.

"On the Tuesday, there was myself and two other members of staff from the department out with the bailiff trying to round up these horses," he added.

"It was an adventure in itself."

The animals were eventually caught and rehomed, the Stockton crime and disorder select committee was told.

Last summer, an elderly couple suffered serious injuries in a collision with two loose horses, near Coatham Beck.

Laws on fly-grazed horses were changed in 2015 to clamp down on animals being put out to pasture without permission or abandoned completely.