THE owners of dozens of unregistered horses have taken advantage of a chipping clinic.

Police in Bishop Auckland, motivated by a sharp rise in the number of illegallytethered or stray horses, organised the event, with support from the county council, the British Horse Society (BHS) and the RSPCA.

Over the past year County Durham has been one of the biggest problem areas for stray horses, with 265 incidents reported to police, a rise of about 25 per cent from last year.

One of the hotspots for reports of stray horses has been in Bishop Auckland, which accounts for 38 per cent of the county’s reports.

Yesterday’s event, at the town’s community fire station, provided an opportunity for horses to be chipped and given passports free, or at a discounted price.

Inspector Martin Peace, from Bishop Auckland police, said: “We took the line that if there was a stray horse or one that was illegally grazing, we would take it, and if the owner wanted it back, there would be a fine of £1,000, because that is how much it costs us to take them away.

“If a horse is chipped, we can identify the owner and contact them straight away, which will save money for all of us.”

Wendy Suddes, from the BHS, which has a list of 300 horses in the county which will be chipped in the next month, said: “It is actually unlawful to not have a horse passport, and here we do have a problem with stray horses causing road traffic collisions.

“This event is the best way for responsible owners to register their horse, and it has been very successful.”