Owners deliberately abandoning horses on grassy public fields for free feeds are being targeted with fines.
The tactic, known as fly-grazing, is becoming so common in parts of Newark the local council has been tracking down owners and charging them £150.
In one incident on March 17 an unnamed owner temporarily abandoned a horse behind the Hawtonville Young People’s Centre on Windsor Road.
Newark and Sherwood District Council impounded it and then found the owner – handing them the £150 bill.
The animal, pictured above, has now been returned to the owner after they paid the charge.
The authority said there were ‘extenuating circumstances’ in the case as it is not often they offer fly-grazing offenders the chance to reclaim their animals.
Picture: Horses left to fly-graze illegally are being impounded after warning notices
Phil Beard, the council’s parks manager said: “The case does demonstrate that we are serious about removing horses left illegally fly-grazing and the message has been getting through as we’d had several months without any problems.”
In March of last year the council dealt with two similar incidents, one involving two horses which had been let loose on the Fleming Drive children’s play area in Newark.
The authority has dealt with 37 reports of fly-grazing since mid-2013.
Terry Bailey, anti-social behaviour officer for the council said: “Fly-grazing can cause a lot of problems.
“If a horse is put on a play area it’s no longer possible for children to use it because they could get hurt. A kick to the head could kill a child.”
As many as 3,000 horses are thought to be illegally fly-grazing across the country, according to the Government.
New legislation introduced last year allows councils to seize abandoned horses and sell them off at auction if they are not claimed within four days.
