A young horse has been seized by police following the circulation of a disturbing video of it reportedly being abused in a back garden.

The animal was taken by officers after a number of people alerted the RSPCA and Kent Police to the footage.

It shows the horse - thought to be aged between one and two years old - having its back jumped on by a large man and crumpling to the ground.

Other men are also filmed chasing and pulling at the terrified horse in the garden on the Sherwood Estate in Tunbridge Wells, while those watching laugh.

A twitter account called The Animal Team alerted the RSPCA today, tweeting: "Sickening abuse to terrified yearling by 5 x heavy drunk men jumping on its back and pony crashing over backwards. God knows what damage they've done to pony's spine and legs."

A few hours later, Kent Police confirmed they had seized the horse.

It said in a tweet: "We are aware of a video circulating on social media reporting to show a horse being mistreated in Tunbridge Wells.

"Our officers have seized the horse and it is safe from harm.

"The RSPCA are investigating the circumstances."

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “We are aware of this situation. Unfortunately we are unable to discuss complaints about specific people and what action may have been taken. We understand how frustrating that is for animals lovers but releasing information could prejudice a future prosecution or could lead to us being fined.

“We are so grateful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us and we would like reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare. A lot of the time issues will be dealt with by advice and education and it is not always appropriate to publicise this information for legal reasons.”

Read more: All the latest news from Tunbridge Wells