A little girl has been forced to break into her Christmas savings to help get her pony back - from the police.

Eight-year-old Sahara Treeby immediately ran upstairs and emptied her piggy bank when she heard that Kent Police were demanding a £500 payment to release her pony Poppy and her mum's horse Bumble, after they were found loose in the road in Sevenoaks.

The horses had escaped from their yard in the middle of the night after a break-in at their stables.

Her mother Angela Gibson said the first she knew that anything had gone wrong was on Tuesday morning last week, when she received a call from the police saying they had placed Bumble and Poppy in safe-keeping with a contracted "green yard" after the animals had been found loose in River Hill in Sevenoaks at two in the morning.

Ms Gibson then went to her own yard in Gracious Lane - a turning off River Hill - to discover that it had been broken into overnight. The chain on the gate had been cut, some tack had been stolen and ramps put up to the back of her horse lorry.

She said: "It looks as though the thieves tried to load our horses onto the lorry, but they couldn't get the motor started because it is fitted with an immobiliser.

"They either then let the horses loose or they escaped."

She reported the break-in to the police, but despite that she was still told she would need to pay a £500 release fee - which would increase to £800 if the horses were not collected within seven days, and that the horses would be sold if not collected within three weeks.

She said: "I explained I didn’t have £500 to hand so close to Christmas but said I could give them £150 now and the remainder after Christmas, but initially I was told it had to be the full amount even though their escape was the result of a burglary and a botched theft.

"I understand there is a cost for someone to collect the horses and look after them - but £500 for one day?

"My daughter was distraught and immediately gave me all her savings to help get her pony back."

Ms Gibson continued to call the police and was eventually told that "as a gesture of goodwill at Christmas" the horses would be released to her for £150.

She had to go to the car park at Knole Park where the police arranged for the horses to be handed over.

Ms Gibson was never given the details of the "green yard" that looked after her horses or met anyone from there.

To add insult to injury, she has since received a letter from the police - dated the same day as the break-in was reported - informing her that "there were no further inquiries we can make in this case and so the investigation is closed."

She said: "No-one even came out to look at my barn or the lorry - but they they say there is no evidence. What a joke!"

Inspector Dave Smith of Kent Police’s Rural Task Force said: "Officers were called to a report of two horses loose on River Hill in Sevenoaks on Tuesday 10 December at around 2am. Patrols attended the scene and made enquiries, however the owner of the horses could not be identified and so they were taken into the care of a private contractor. Later that day the owner was located and provided with the relevant information in order to recover her animals.

"Horses or ponies found wandering on a road are at risk of causing serious injury, therefore it is important action is taken straight away. Our officers in the rural task force, along with those working for the private contractor, carry microchip scanners and will make every effort to trace the owner.

"To avoid paying a fee it is really important that all owners ensure their animals are microchipped and the details registered are kept up-to-date so that contact can be made immediately following the discovery of a horse. If they can’t be identified and there is no available field or stable for the animal our officers will have no choice but to hand them over to the care of the company.

"Kent Police charges an initial fixed tariff based on a horse being recovered within seven days, however this fee is subject to change. It only partly covers the cost the force incurs for each animal seized and so it’s important for everyone that owners are located quickly. Whilst in care the animals will receive veterinary treatment where required and if unclaimed after 21 days attempts will be made to rehome them. Following discussions with the contractor it was agreed that on this occasion a lower fee would be accepted.

"The owner of the animals later reported her property burgled in Gracious Lane, Sevenoaks. It is understood the incident took place overnight between 9 and 10 December 2019 where riding equipment was reported to have been stolen. Officers continue to investigate all available lines of enquiry regarding the burglary and would ask anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area to call us with details on 01622 604100 quoting reference 46/235449/19."

Escaped animals, unusual finds and news from the RSPCA can all be found here.

To get the latest updates on ongoing cases, police appeals and criminals put behind bars, click here.