One upon a time police used Panda cars. But last night they came face-to-face with a different type of animal.

A patrol ended up as cowboys when officers found themselves rounding up three runaway horses.

The cops were called to Lower Halstow in the early hours of this morning after members of the public reported horses running wild on the roads.

All the animals, believed to have escaped from a nearby field, were eventually captured.

A police spokesman said: "We received numerous reports of horses running wild on the roads of Lower Halstow in the early hours of this morning.

"All three horses were rounded up safely."

In a Twitter message one of the wrangling officers quipped: "Do we just deal with crime? Neigh."

Lower Halstow is northwest of Sittingbourne on the banks of the Medway Estuary and lies north of Newington on the A2.