Alert on keeping horses secure

Horse owners have been warned to be vigilant and step up security as the dark nights descend.

Police in the Wyre Forest district have said that although thefts of horses are rare they are devastating for owners.

Pc Sally Sliwinska, one of the Horse Watch co-ordinators for West Mercia Police, said: "The long winter nights give horse thieves plenty of time to operate under cover of darkness.

"We are appealing to owners to be vigilant and keep an eye out for strangers, making a note of the registration number of any suspicious vehicles."

"Keeping written and photographic records of a horse can help reunite them if they are stolen."

She added that horses should be checked at least twice a day, fencing and gate should also be kept secure and maybe an alarm fitted.

"It is also important to permanently identify a horse. Methods include freeze-mark as a visual deterrent or microchipping," she added.

Pc Sliwinska said police were still appealing for information about the theft of a red leopard Appaloosa from a field in Cookley, near Kidderminster, last month.

Police are also recruiting members for Horse Watch in the Wyre Forest area. Call Pc Sliwinska on 0300 333 3000.