No long faces in Police Rural Crime Team

The Lincolnshire Police Rural Crime Action team, which was formed back in 2021, tackle hare coursing and wildlife crime, arson and flytipping amongst other issues around the county. They also often get calls to help with horses that have got out of their fields – over the last 12 months they have attended more than 130 incidents where horses have been reported as loose.

Now, thanks to a donation from Bransby Horses and Cobbs Country Store near Newark, Lincolnshire officers will be better equipped to corral them to safety. Collisions on the road are a serious concern when dealing with escaped horses. Last year in Hertfordshire, a horse died and a taxi driver was left with life threatening injuries after the horse escaped from a field near the A602.

David Cobb of Cobbs Country store intially donated 20 head collars and lead ropes to Bransby Horses, an equine charity near Lincoln. The charity then decided to pass them on to the Rural Crime Action Team to be placed in police stations across Lincolnshire and in every rural crime team response vehicle.

Lincolnshire Police explained how they will always try to locate the owners of any horse who becomes loose before getting in touch with charities like Bransby Horses who may be able to look after the animal temporarily until its owner is found.

Technology plays its part in rescuing an escaped horse: like cats and dogs, horses can be microchipped, meaning the police can trace them to their home address using special chip readers. In addition, the new headcollars have QR codes fitted which can be scanned with a smartphone to provide information on how to best approach, catch and lead a horse or pony to safety.

PC Karen Irving, from our Rural Crime Action Team, said: "We've all been to jobs where we've used belts or similar to hold onto a horse. While crisps or a packet of Polos sometimes works, this equipment will help secure a horse and reduce the chance of things going wrong. "We are very grateful to both Bransby Horses and Cobbs Country Store for kindly donating the equipment. We’ve talked about horse abandonment and other issues and this idea was brought up as a positive way to contain them and keep our colleagues safe."

David Cobb, Cobbs Country Store, said: “When Bransby Horses came to me with the idea I said yes straight away, it was a fantastic idea. We are looking forward to working with Bansby Horses and Lincolnshire Police in the future on other projects.”

Bransby Horses’ Welfare Manager, Rachel Jenkinson, said: “We are grateful to Cobbs Country store for their support and we look forward to working with Lincolnshire Police in the future.”

If you are aware of a crime, issue or road traffic incident that needs reporting you can inform Lincolnshire Police online, by dialling 101 or, in emergencies only, by calling 999.