A BEMUSED caretaker was left to care for a horse and its new foal after it broke into a school field to give birth.

Colin Green, caretaker at Kirkleatham Hall School, Kirtkleatham Village in east Cleveland, was alerted to the equine intruder after it was spotted by a man walking his dog early yesterday.

Baffled as to how it got into the field, which is enclosed by a fence and gates, Mr Green rang the police, and a vet soon arrived to check mare and foal.

In the meantime, he set about trying to trace its owner.

"When I arrived, the horse had already given birth and the first thing I saw was the foal staggering to its feet," he said.

"We sometimes find strange things in the field, but I've never seen anything as strange as this."

While inquiries were going on, the children had to be kept inside the school in case they upset the uninvited guests, and Mr Green was left to keep a close watch on the animals.

Meanwhile Kevin Harvey, the mare's owner, was wondering where Poppy had got to.

His friend, Kate Kelley, said: "Kevin keeps her in a paddock next to his house in Warranby, which is surrounded by a fence and gates. We noticed that she had gone missing at about 6am, and there was no sign of her.

"We are absolutely stumped as to how she got out. When horses are in foal, they tend to want to go somewhere private, but this seems a bit extreme."

Following her Houdini-style escape, Poppy wandered three miles down the road to reach the school.

Now she and her male foal are both safely home, and the children are anticipating a visit - scheduled this time - from a stablemate.

Ms Kelley said: "The children have named him Kirk because he was found at Kirkleatham."