'Starving' horses in poor condition rescued from wasteland in Derbyshire

The rural crime team responded to an incident reported by a concerned member of the public.

After receiving a report on the weekend, officers attended the site in the morning of Sunday, October, 9 and found the animals in an extremely poor condition.

They contacted the RSPCA and as a joint operation, the horses were recovered under the Animal Welfare Act and transported to RSPCA approved premises to be treated.

It is hoped they will make a full recovery.

Derbyshire Rural Crime Team Sergeant Chris Wilkinson said: “There is an investigation ongoing. We don't think that people that were in possession of the horse were responsible for their poor condition because we don’t think the horses were with them very long.

“It’s a broader investigation into identifying who has been responsible for the horses over the last couple of years, and how they've come to be in that condition.”

There have been no arrests so far and Derbyshire Rural Crime Team officers continue the investigation.