HORSE thieves could be leaving a hairy calling card to identify target animals, police warned yesterday.

Two animal owners became suspicious after plaits appeared in their pets’ manes while they were in fields in the Derwentside area.

The owners, who live on farms in Edmundbyers, had read warnings about thieves using plaits to identify animals for gang members to steal.

They moved the horses to safer places and reported their suspicions to police.

One of the owners asked her son to keep watch. At about 4pm on January 4, he saw a man in a white 4x4.

The man drove off at speed when we saw he was being watched.

PC Frank Hewison, beat officer for upper Weardale and Edmundbyers, said similar incidents elsewhere in the country had recently been highlighted in a magazine for horse owners.

He said: “I would urge horse owners to be extra vigilant with regard to the security of their animals. Fortunately, in these two incidents, the owners were alert and quickly moved the animals to more secure locations.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Consett police on 0345-60-60-365 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.