Residents of a Somerset village have found themselves with an unexpected neighbour after a woman apparently moved a horse into her home.
Locals contacted the authorities after spotting the coloured cob and two goats regularly grazing on a public green in Crewkerne.
There were also reports that the horse had been kept in the living room of the woman’s home, which is owned by Yarlington Housing Association.
The police and RSPCA have said there is little they can do about the situation, as the animals were in good health and no laws had been broken.
“We are continuing to work with the owner but have found no clear breaches of the law. We are continuing to monitor the horse’s wellbeing and hope to reach a suitable resolution to their future care shortly,” a spokesman for the RSPCA said.
“We take all concerns raised to us about animal welfare very seriously, but as a charity we can only act within the law.
“We also work with those responsible for the care of animals to encourage best practice by offering advice and education to help improve animal welfare.”
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But South Somerset District Council, which owns the public green, said it believes it has the power to force the animals to leave.
“We’re having a meeting with other agencies to find out what we can do,” a spokesman said. “We are hoping we can get something done by the end of this week.
“While we believe there is a law to allow us to move the horse, we don’t have the facilities to house it.”
A spokesman for Yarlington Housing confirmed that the organisation is aware of the situation: “We are working with our resident and the police, the RSPCA and the local authority in order to help resolve the issue,” she said.
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