Wanted: owners for German police horses

Berlin police force dissolves its mounted unit to save money, but reports that some horses may have to be put down have been denied

Berlin’s socialist coalition government is dissolving its mounted police force in a bid to cut costs.

The move to is reported to be saving around £300,000.

Around 45 trained police horses will have to go, however previous reports that some may have to be put down have been strongly denied.

Ehrart Koerting, Interior Minister for Berlin, is reported to have said that “no horse will be put to sleep” and that the government would try to sell the animals to “whoever wanted them”.

According to a spokeswoman for the German Embassy in London, some of the horses are expected to go to their own police riders, while others will go to private homes and the rest to retirement homes.

The police force in Berlin has used officers on horseback to quell unrestduring demonstration, football matches and riots.

• Click here to read about the legendary police horse Steele.
• Click here to read about Echo, the horse who survived an IRA bomb blast.

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