Roaming horses run amok through estate

Roaming horses have kicked over bins and food waste collections and chopped up gardens on a Black Country estate in two overnight incidents.

Residents found scraps of food strewn across their doorsteps and lawns, along with scattered rubbish from torn bin bags, after the horses ran amok on Tipton's Wednesbury Oak Estate.

Ward councillor Beatrice Owen is calling for neighbouring councils to team up to control the problem blighting residents in the area.

She said: "Residents have suffered over the weekend with roaming horses rampaging in Princes End which have come from the urban forest.

"Bins on drives have been kicked over as well as food buckets. The horses are spoiling the area. People have woken up to a complete mess.

"Thankfully I don't think they have done any damage to houses but all the food and rubbish was scattered everywhere.

"People in Princes End continue to suffer with problems from horses.

"This needs both Sandwell and neighbouring councils to take some kind of joint action to stop horses roaming across the region."

Chiefs at Sandwell Council have employed a number of tactics to clamp down on roaming and tethered steeds on public amenities in recent months.

They said no-one had reported problems over the weekend.

Bailiffs have been employed to seize the stray animals but the move has prompted controversy among horse lovers, who have threatened legal action after their pets were seized.

They have taken to the streets in a series of marches, disrupting traffic with caravans and horse-drawn carts.

A petition in support of the tradition of tethered horses was also submitted to chiefs in December.