Equine tack and tools, worth £20,000, were taken from a stable in Penhow, Newport on Wednesday 2 March between midnight and 5

A LOCAL farmer helped out as firefighters from Taunton rescued a large horse stuck in a water-filled dit

An elderly couple who "imprisoned" several severely neglected ponies in "deplorable conditions" have been banned from keeping animals for life.

Wiltshire Police is creating the UK's volunteer force of riders to act as countryside protectors in rural areas where gangs and poachers often act with disregard for their surroundings.

The owners of a family petting farm said they have been left angry after riders from a hunt broke fences and came onto their land.

The rural officers managed to retrieve the horse and assist in a search for a stolen vehicle as well as respond to suspicious activity reported by the public.

WATER company workers have been praised after rescuing a foal found stuck in a culvert in County Durham.

Riders and those living in rural areas are urged to keep reporting crime – even if it feels futile – as it helps police build a clearer picture of problems and how to tackle them.