Cleveland police officer recovering in hospital after being thrown from horse (From The Northern Echo)

Cleveland police officer recovering in hospital after being thrown from horse

8:10am Wednesday 15th February 2012 in Middlesbrough News By Lucy Richardson

A POLICE officer is recovering in hospital after being thrown from his horse.

The frightened animal, called Joey, bolted after his male rider fell to the ground, and was on the loose for about 45 minutes before trotting back to the Cleveland Police Force stables in Middlesbrough.

The grey horse had been with the mounted section for only a few weeks before the incident, which happened at about 4.15pm on Monday, in Spencerbeck, near the force stables at Ormesby Hall.

Ormesby Road was closed to keep the public safe as the colt returned to its base.

Assistant Chief Constable Sean White said: “The force is rightly concerned that an experienced member of the mounted section was injured while patrolling last night in support of protecting local communities.

“Events of this nature are extremely rare, and in fact almost unheard of.

“Police riders are trained to the highest of standards, and on this occasion an experienced rider was working with a new horse, recently introduced to the Cleveland Police Mounted Section.”

He added: “A full review of the circumstances of the event is under way and any lessons learnt will be actioned as a matter of priority.

“I know that members of the public value enormously the presence of police horses within their community, and while unfortunate, this incident will not have a significant or lasting impact upon the role that the mounted section play in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.

“Finally, and most importantly, support is being provided to the officer who was injured and to his family.”

The injured officer, who has not been named, is being treated at The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.

Inspector Beverley Gill, of Specialist Operations at Cleveland Police, said: “We contacted a vet as a precautionary measure.”

She added: “However, Joey, who is a young horse in training, did not sustain any injuries.”