THE Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has joined the Government in backing a Private Member’s Bill to introduce new fly-grazing controls.

This will enable quicker removal of horses left to graze on private land without permission.

The Control of Horses Bill sponsored by York MP Julian Sturdy would cut the time before landowners can act from 14 days to four.

Fly-grazing has become a considerable problem in the south of England and creates a range of challenges in terms of horses’ welfare, damage to land and a safety risk for motorists and walkers when horses escape on to roads. The Control of Horses Bill will now be debated by MPs at committee stage in the coming weeks.

Mr Sturdy wants England to follow in the footsteps of Wales, which introduced legislation in January, giving local authorities the power to seize or impound horses abandoned on public or private land without permission.

In the debate, Mr Sturdy stressed the seriousness of the problem for the people it affects.

He said: “I appreciate that to some the problem of fly-grazing might seem somewhat mundane, but try telling that to the farmer whose crops are being destroyed, to the motorist whose life is endangered by a horse on the road or to the animal welfare charities who work tirelessly every single day to rescue these horses from the miserable existence to which so many have been condemned.”

The CLA, NFU and the Countryside Alliance have joined forces with the RSPCA, World Horse Welfare, Redwings, the British Horse Society and Blue Cross to support the bill.

The Countryside Alliance chairman Barney White-Spunner said: “The issues of fly-grazing and loose horses cause misery and mayhem to individuals, businesses and authorities around England and a great deal of suffering to the horses dumped and mistreated in this way.

“Until now the legal powers to address the problem have been lacking but if this bill is passed it will be a significant step forward for animal welfare and landowners’ rights. We now call on the Govern-ment to give this Bill a fair wind at committee stage and ensure it is given adequate parliamentary time in successive stages.”

The RPSCA’s head of communications David Bowles said: “Seventy per cent of horses taken in by us cannot be linked to an owner. We are pleased that the government has decided it wants to help to solve this problem.

“Horse owners need to be made accountable for their animals and power needs to be given back to enforcers.”