Travellers challenged over the state of their tethered horses - Derbyshire

THE RSPCA has been contacted over concerns about the condition of horses being kept by Travellers.

Jodie Fairbrother got in touch with the animal welfare charity after seeing horses tied up in a field adjacent to Holmleigh Way and the A50 in Chellaston.

The manager of Second Chance Rescue Kennels, on Back Lane in Chellaston, said she thought there were 11 horses and was worried about their condition.

She said: "The horses didn't look like they had been fed and the straps around their necks looked very tight."

She also said the horses did not look like they had been wormed and the water bowls for them to drink out of were "bone dry".

Ms Fairbrother approached the Travellers on the site yesterday to talk to them about the condition of the horses.

She even asked whether she could buy one of the small foals from them to help take care of it but her offer was rejected.

But she said the response from the Travellers was negative and they did not accept her advice.

"They told me to get off the land, which doesn't belong to them anyway," she said.

She claimed she saw some of the horses a couple of weeks ago at a site in Swarkestone and said that their condition seemed to have deteriorated since then.

She said: "I have driven past every day, since Saturday when they came to the land, and I am worried about them."

Jodie said she asked the Travellers whether they had horse passports but they said they did not.

No-one was available from the RSPCA last night.

A spokesman from Derby City Council said it would look into the situation if a complaint was received.

He said the council would initially provide advice and guidance to the owner to obtain a horse passport if they did not already have one.

Passports are required if someone owns a horse or is its main keeper.

They are responsible for making sure they have an up-to-date horse passport so the horse can be identified.

Failure to have a passport can lead to a fine of up to £5,000.

Meanwhile, bailiffs have issued a notice to the Travellers to move their vehicles and goods and vacate the land, owned by Joe Langton, by 11am today.

Firefighters had been called to the site being occupied by the Travellers on Sunday evening to put out a blaze.

Crews from Ascot Drive attended the scene at around 7.45pm and put out a bonfire, involving two gas cylinders.

The firefighters cooled the cylinders down and police were also in attendance.