HIGHWAYS bosses are to replace fences on the New Forest’s busy A31 – a year after a motorcyclist died in a collision with a stray pony.

Daniel Robins, 31, was one of two riders involved in a collision with the animal on the westbound A31 at Picket Post near Ringwood on January 22, 2014.

Police had initially closed the road after the pony was spotted but then reopened the route after failing to find the animal.

The Highways Agency says the decision to replace three stretches of fencing, totalling around 1.5 miles, is not related to the accident.

A spokesman for the agency said work would begin on February 2 to replace the first of three sections and would be finished by the end of March.

The bill is expected to come to £450,000.

The three stretches of fencing to be replaced are as follows: n On the westbound carriageway, west of Stoney Cross to the Moggshade Underpass n On the eastbound carriageway, from the Moggshade underpass to around 300 metres west of Stoney Cross n On the westbound carriageway, from the A31 Minstead junction to junction one of the M27.

The collision in which Mr Robins died took place further west, on the westbound carriageway at Picket Post.

Police had closed a stretch of the road to look for the stray pony.

But they lost sight of the animal after 40 minutes and decided to reopen the outer lane to the huge build-up of rush-hour traffic.

Mr Robins and the other rider, Ian Woolgar, from Broadstone, had ridden to the front of the queuing traffic and set off when the lane was reopened.

They were involved in a collision with the pony, which was standing in the centre of the road a mile further on.