A HERD of rare breed ponies has arrived in the North-East following a campaign which raised more than £13,000 to get them here.

The 12 ponies were bought by Durham Wildlife Trust (DWT) to graze its nature reserves, which will aid conservation.

Ten of the ponies are now grazing at Rainton Meadows, near Houghton-le-Spring, with two more expected to join them in the next few weeks.

They will be based at Rainton Meadows for three months before being divided between the trust’s other reserves.

Peter Stranney, from DWT, said: “It’s very exciting, it’s really generated a bit of a buzz about the place.

“We’re hoping we will start to see a lot more visitors coming to see the ponies. Lots of people have got involved and supported the appeal. We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone.

“Conservation grazing is the perfect purpose for them and having them will save a lot of volunteer time as they will keep the wildflower meadows in good condition.”

The fundraising appeal reached its target of £9,200 within 10 days of it being launched in November and a total of more than £13,000 was raised.

The extra funds will go towards setting up a pony welfare fund to look after the animals in the future.

Durham Wildlife Trust has identified eight reserves on which the ponies will graze, including sites throughout County Durham and Gateshead.

The native breed almost died out after the Second World War. There are now thought to be around 800 of the ponies worldwide, with less than 500 in the UK.