Horse put down after suspected dog attack

A horse has died and another injured after a suspected dog attack in a field.

Dorset Police said the horses were injured after a "serious incident" next to Milton Abbas Lake, near Blandford, on Monday.

One horse, Twig, suffered a broken leg and had to be put to sleep, while a second horse suffered bite injuries.

Dorset Police's rural crime team urged the owner of the dog involved to "do the right thing" and contact police.

Police said witnesses described hearing "noises consistent with dogs in a highly aggressive state" at about 20:30 BST on Monday.

The horses' owners found fencing had been broken and at least two horses were injured.

Following the attack, officers swabbed the second horse's injury, in a bid to potentially recover canine DNA, which could be used in future to establish whether an animal was involved in the incident.

PC Kate Schofield said: "This is a devastating incident for the owner of Twig, who has lost a much-loved horse in very distressing circumstances.

"It highlights the serious consequences dogs can have when not kept under proper control."