Pupils at a Bradford primary school presented a dossier of pleas to Bradford Council urging it to spare Murdoch and Darcy, its two working horses.

The horses are stabled at Bradford Industrial Museum in Eccleshill and, while they have proven to be the star attraction for visitors, the Council is considering moving them to save £126,000.

The horses pull visitors around in a wagon, and in the summer, they pull a tank to water hanging baskets in the city centre.

A package of heart-felt posters and letters put together by nine and ten-year-olds at Allerton Primary School was shown to the Telegraph & Argus before being sent to City Hall.

One pupil, Bethany Hewick, writes: “I am horrified to hear you might be getting rid of your museum horses.

“These two lovely horses have been placed in people’s hearts and other children will also be shocked to find out that the next time they go to your museum, Darcy and Murdoch will not be there.”

Jenny Wilson, the school’s assistant headteacher, said: “The children don’t want the horses to disappear. It makes part of their museum trip, and we’re hoping the Council will listen to them.”

Last week, Tony Stephens, the Council’s assistant director cultural and tourism, said a consultation process over a proposal to find a new home for the two working horses had begun. The proposal would not mean that horses would disappear altogether from the museum, he said, and horses would be drafted in for special events.

  • Read the full story Thursday’s T&A