Appeal launched after horse suffers ‘serious injuries’ near Dartmoor

Devon and Cornwall Police are currently investigating a report of a horse that “sustained serious injuries” as a result of an assault overnight on Monday 11 August in the Cheriton Bishop area.

PC Lucy Wyatt of the Rural Affairs team and Equine Lead for Devon & Cornwall Police said: “We’ve received reports that a horse suffered serious and unexplained injuries during the night on 11 August, and sadly had to be put to sleep.

“While investigations are ongoing, we’re urging horse owners and those with livestock in the area to be extra vigilant”.

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Officers are recommending horse owners to check fields where animals are kept regularly to ensure that fences haven’t been breached and that no one else is in the field with them.

It is also advised to keep hedges, fences and gates in good repair, field gate hinges should have capping hinges so they can't be removed easily; cattle grids should be removable and locked out of position when they're not in use; use locking posts to obstruct large openings to yards.

Owners should also utilise CCTV if possible, and keep gates securely padlocked.

If you have any information that may assist with investigations, police are encouraging you to contact them via the website or by calling 101, quoting reference 50250208871.