The decomposing body of a young horse has finally been removed from a field in Ashford.

The dead animal had been lying on the land between Romney Marsh Road and Norman Road for more than a month.

At first it was in plain sight of people walking by and the other horses still living in the field.

However it was then covered, at first by tarpaulin by concerned residents and then by flood water.

On Tuesday, the horse’s body was removed by the team from Boyd Roberts Casualty Livestock, based in Charing.

Mr Roberts, business owner, said: “We were instructed by Kent Trading Standards and the land owner to remove the pony.

“The pony was removed within three hours of receiving the request and now has been sent for cremation.”

He added that due to the length of time it had been left in the field, a post-mortem was not possible.

He also said that they scanned the body for a microchip, but nothing was found.

The horse was first spotted lying in the field in early December.

“We are seeing a spate of dumped horses in the county at the moment, which is extremely shocking and distressing and needs to stop." - Inspector Doe

It was reported to Ashford Borough Council, who said if the horse’s owner was not known, the removal of it would be down to the landowner.

Last week they contacted the landowner to inform them of the situation.

Concerned resident Ted Relf, from Shadoxhurst, questioned why it took so long to move the body.

He said: “It’s annoying that something like this happens. On Tuesday, they drove into the field, picked it up, and then drove away. That could have been done weeks ago. It would have been easier weeks ago.”

Mr Relf also raised concerns over how the poor horse had died, whether it be from disease or neglect.

There has been a huge spike in the number of dead and dumped horses found in Kent, according to the RSPCA.

The animal charity revealed this week how it has received a spate of calls about horse issues over the past two months.

Since November 15, Inspector Caroline Doec and other officers have been called out to 21 horse-related incidents in the county.

During these call-outs, they found 25 horses - 14 of which were dead on arrival, including a grey warmblood horse found in Ashford on November 26 last year, and a skewbald pony found in a stream in Ashford on December 1.

A further nine had to be put to sleep.

Inspector Doe said: “We are seeing a spate of dumped horses in the county at the moment, which is extremely shocking and distressing and needs to stop.

“These horses appear to have been transported in vans or pick-up trucks to quiet locations where they are callously dumped, some even while they are still just alive which is quite simply barbaric.

“This is pushing our inspectors to their limits and putting a strain on resources. We are asking the public to remember that we have finite resources and must always act within the law.”