SIR – Regarding Horse left for dead (WHT 1/4/09). I m outraged after reading comments made by PC Jo Wakelen in the above article where it was said: No foul play was involved and the horse was probably dumped due to the cost involved in having a horse

SIR - Regarding Horse left for dead (WHT 1/4/09).

I'm outraged after reading comments made by PC Jo Wakelen in the above article where it was said: 'No foul play was involved and the horse was probably dumped due to the cost involved in having a horse removed professionally'.

Is Hertfordshire Police implying that members of the public are now being given the consent to dump dead animals on a public byway if they can't afford disposal costs?

Other than an environmental issue there is a law regarding to fly tipping which, if nothing else, this could be classed as.

I can only presume that PC Wakelen did not see the horse, as the condition of the animal was clearly a neglect case and the pony would not have died of natural causes.

This story was in the same paper as the "Neglected to death" article.

When is someone going to take responsibility in enforcing the law?

There are many horses on the A414 site that will have the same fate if immediate action is not taken.

Why are horses still being tethered on this site?

Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act states that animals "need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns". Horses are herd animals and require space to roam as a herd, not tethered to a chain with a bucket of water nearby; the RSPCA clearly thinks this is acceptable.

Rugs are placed on the horses to hide their body condition. When the RSPCA attends the site the animals are checked from a distance without removing the rugs. How can the animals' true condition be checked by by doing this?.

It's about time the "fear factor" of dealing with this minority was overcome and the law was enforced.

Alison Scull, via email.