A MOTORIST whose car was written-off in a horror collision with a runaway horse received another shock when he was sent a £700 council bill for the dead animal’s removal.

Council bosses said Kieren Hamilton had to pay for the clean-up because they could not find the horse’s owner.

Following inquiries by The Northern Echo last night, the authority apologised and said the letter had been sent in error.

However Mr Hamilton branded the demand “insensitive”

after he was lucky to survive the crash in March.

He had to be cut free from the wreckage of his Audi, which was damaged after the horse ran into its path on the A689 at Toronto, near the Newton Cap viaduct, in Bishop Auckland.

The driver, who had been on his way to work, was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital for treatment for severe lacerations on his hand and face caused by the shattered windscreen, several broken ribs, and numerous cuts and bruises.

He also lost three teeth in the accident and had to take several weeks off work to recover.

The horse, which died at the scene, was removed by Durham County Council officials.

Last week, Mr Hamilton, who lives in Witton-le-Wear, County Durham, with his wife, Beverley, received a letter from the authority requesting £700 to cover the cost of removing the animal, after subsequent investigations failed to trace its owner.

Mr Hamilton said “It seemed like a bog-standard reimbursement letter that they had sent out – it was so insensitive.

No one from the council had been in touch to find out the extent of my injuries.

Would they still have sent it out if I had died?”

The county council issued an apology to Mr Hamilton yesterday, saying the letter was sent in error and he would not have to pay the costs.

Neil Harrison, Durham County Council financial support manager, said: “We would like to apologise for any upset this letter has caused Mr Hamilton and his wife.

“The letter was sent out in error and we will be contacting him to apologise. He will not have to pay the costs.”

Mr Hamilton said he was pleased by the outcome, but added: “I understand that someone should pay for it, but the council should not be picking on the victim, they should do more to find out who owned the horse and stop it from happening again.”

Mrs Hamilton said: “It is good that we do not have to pay the costs, but I do not believe it was an error.

“It seems to me that they have only backed down since The Northern Echo got involved.”