POLICE have praised members of the public who caught a horse that was running loose near the A1 in North Yorkshire this morning.

North Yorkshire Police received numerous reports about the horse which was spotted near to the Barton junction 56 of the A1 at 11am this morning (Wednesday, June 12).

Officers were sent to the area but thankfully quick-thinking members of the public managed to safely catch the horse on the B6275 road towards Piercebridge.

The Northern Echo:

The horse was safely caught on the B6275 road to Piercebridge Picture: Google

The police appealed via their community messaging service for the animal's owners to come forward and by 11.50am it had been safely reunited with its owners.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: "The horse is fine, the owners have got their horse and we are grateful for members of the public intervening because they were the ones who got hold of it."