CRUEL intruders chopped off the tail of a pony which was on private land near Whitchurch.

The animal, a children's pet, was left in a distressed state after its ordeal when it is thought a flashlight might have been shone in its eyes so that the offenders could catch it.

The incident - which happened overnight between New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - is the latest of a series of similar offences that police are investigating.

Pc Gary Edwards, who works with Pc Mirian King as equine liaison officer for Whitchurch police, said a tail was first taken from a pony belonging to the family, who have not been identified, in October 1999.

Similar incidents then happened in July and September last year.

He said: "In this latest one, the culprits have cut off about eight inches, half of the length of the tail, with a knife."

The angry owner of the ponies explained how the family discovered what had happened on New Year's Day when they got up to feed the animals and found one in a distressed state.

He said: "There are three issues. The first is that they are going up to an animal and doing something cruel to it, the second is that it upsets my children who are aged eight and 11 and the third is that someone has been trespassing on our land in the middle of the night."

He explained that when the pony has recovered from its ordeal it still has to wait up to a year before the tail grows back.

"This makes it uncomfortable in hot weather as it uses its tail to swat flies away," he added.

Anyone with information about the incident can contact the police on 0845 045 45 45.