THE DECOMPOSING body of a horse left lying in a field for more than a week has prompted anger and disgust among residents.

The dead horse, in a field off Dick Lane, Thornbury, lay in full view of passengers travelling on trains using the main railway line between Bradford and Leeds.

Residents expressed astonishment that no-one took responsibility for removing the horse for more than seven days

Bradford Council said the field was within the Leeds boundaries, while Leeds City Council said the matter was out of its hands because the horse was on private land.

Nick Clarke, of Hutton Close, on the estate near the field, said: “It’s typical really; where we live here we pay Leeds council tax but live in a Bradford postcode, so we see none of the benefits of paying our taxes to Leeds.

“They should definitely come and sort it out.

“There are always horses running around in our streets freely, I bet if the horse was lying in the middle of our estate the Council wouldn’t leave it for a week.”

Jayne and Ian Price also live on the estate next to the horse’s body, and said: “If one council choose not to do anything about it, then the other does too,” they said.

“There are a few horses kept in the field, and they used to come through the fence from the field and wander round the estate; we had one right outside our house before they put up a better fence.

“It’s sad that one of the horses has died, especially if it’s just been lying there for a week.”

Councillor Andrew Carter, of the Calverley and Farsley ward, said: "I've been down with my wife (Cllr Amanda Carter) and seen the horse and it stinks to high heaven."

He said he had spoken to the landowner, who had been doing "all sorts to try and stop these horses from getting on to the land, including putting up quite a substantial fence."

Cllr Carter said: "It appears that these horses have been brought on to the land either across the railway line or over the Bradford Council land on Dick Lane.

"This has been going on for a few years and the owner has had to call out the RSPCA to put down at least one injured horse in the past, and they are really fed up with it all."

A spokesman for Leeds City Council said that the land was private.

He said: “We have spoken to the landowner, and he was made aware of the carcass, and he is taking measures to dispose of the body and to get it covered up in the mean time.”