Racehorse trainers in West Berkshire struggling to hire skilled staff amid shift from rural life

Racehorse trainers in West Berkshire have welcomed the news that it could become easier to recruit workers from overseas once again.

They say it would help tackle the serious shortage of stable staff which has been made worse post-Brexit.

Racing is at the heart of rural communities like Lambourn where one in three people work in the industry. But racing stables and stud farms are struggling to find the highly skilled staff they need.

The British Horseracing Authority is urging the government to add racing roles to the official Shortage Occupation List while they find ways to attract more home-grown talent.