RESIDENTS have called for action after a group if horses were released into a field which is flooded, leaving them to graze in mud and water with only a small area of relatively dry land to congregate in.

Yesterday (Monday, 7 December) Thurrock Nub News reported on concerns of residents from Aveley, Purfleet and Ockendon about a group of horses grazing on the edge of the Mar Dyke river which is heavily flooded.

Horses are not permitted to be grazed on the riverside between November and March after Thurrock Council outlawed it in 2015. Thurrock Nub News visited the area yesterday afternoon and now horses could be seen but today they were released again, with animals in field on both sides of Ship Lane. One horse had escaped from its field and was roaming free.

Our new pictures were taken at 4pm today. Fresh hay had been left in the corner of the field where they are gathered.

Residents have now renewed their call for Thurrock Council and the RSPCA to take action to ensure the horses are moved to a safer and more amenable environment.