A TRAGEDY was narrowly averted on Monday morning when horses from a meadow on Borovere farm, found their way onto the A31 and A32 , thanks to a member of the public leaving gates open.
Cars were forced to dodge the ten animals, six of which were Shire horses, before concerned motorists herded them off the roads, one of which is a dual carriageway, and into nearby fields at around 8-30 am.
Borovere Farm covers approximately 35 acres, and is surrounded by several major roads.
Farmer Richard James claims that these incidents have been occurring sporadically for a few years, but the recent increase in incidents of gates being left open is suspicious.
He said: "I think this is being done deliberately. Someone let the horses out on to one of the arable fields last week and they did a lot of damage.
"If it had happened at harvest time when there are combine harvesters going day and night, the results could have been catastrophic.
"There is barbed wire on the gates which these people are purposefully untying and leaving wrapped around the gateposts, and you would not go to all that trouble if you were just passing though.
"This is wanton vandalism. We had no problems at all when because of foot-and-mouth, but now we've had two occurrences in ten days".
Mr James also thinks he knows why his land has been singled out for interference of this nature.
He said: "The animals belong to a breeder in Wales, I'm just looking after them for him. Some people think that they are going to be sold for meat, which may be a reason to prompt an attack, but I can assure you that they are not".
Mr James' main concern is the safety issue.
He said, "It is annoying when the stock is let out and they get into other fields and damage them, but when they are being let on to major roads, then it is no longer a prank, it is downright dangerous.
"If an accident occurred, then it will not just be the horses that get hurt".