Owners report plaits appearing in horses manes: Derwentside
(DH8 - Wednesday, 10 February, 2010)

Horse owners are being urged to be vigilant after reports of suspicious activity involving animals in Derwentside.

Early last month police received two reports of plaits mysteriously appearing in the manes of horses in fields at farms in Edmundbyers, near Consett.

On January 4 the owner of one of the horses discovered two small plaits in its mane when she went to take it and others to a safe location following reports of horses going missing from neighbouring farms.

She suspected the plaits might be a sign for someone calling later to steal her animals and asked her son to keep watch.

At about 4pm he saw a white 4x4 vehicle in the vicinity and a man looking about.

The man got back into the vehicle and drove off at speed after spotting the woman's son.

Shortly before 3.30pm the previous day the neighbour of another horse owner had informed her that her horses' manes had been plaited.

Fearing it was to identify them to be stolen the owner had moved them to another location.

PC Frank Hewison, beat officer for upper Weardale and Edmundbyers, said similar incidents elsewhere in the country had recently been highlighted in a magazine for horse owners.

One owner in the Guildford area had dismissed a small plait she found in her horse's mane as "kids messing about" but a week later the animal disappeared.

Fortunately, she was reunited with the horse after it was abandoned at the Hollyhead ferry port in Wales.

PC Hewison added:

"I would urge horse owners to be extra vigilant with regard to the security of their animals.

"Fortunately in these two incidents the owners were alert and quickly moved the animals to more secure locations."

Consett police can be contacted via the non-emergency number 0345 6060 365.

Alternatively call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Edmundbyers
Consett
County Durham
DH8