A horse-lover has attacked Bradford Council after an eight-year-old mare was removed from municipal ground – but the horse’s three-month-old foal left behind.

Pauline Tomlinson, of Holme Wood, said she fears the foal, which was separated from its mother after the older horse was impounded by Bradford Council, will suffer lasting trauma as a result.

The mare, named Tillie, was tethered on Council-owned ground in Dane Hill Drive until Tuesday when it was seized and impounded by a private firm PPS employed by Bradford Council.

While conceding that the horse should not have been kept on the land Miss Tomlinson said she cannot understand how the firm could remove a mare from her foal leaving the young animal, named Cracker, traumatised.

She said: “My horse was kept on the land at Dane Hill Drive along with several other horses.

“She recently had a foal. I went to see them on Tuesday and the mare had disappeared leaving the foal all alone.

“I didn’t know what had happened but then I found a notice which had been posted saying that my horse had been impounded.

“I don’t understand why they took our horse and not the others. I went to the police and they gave me a claim form to apply to get her back but they said it would take up to five working days.

“In the meantime the foal is suffering and I’m sure the mare is in a state too being separated from her baby. They just left the foal running wild.”

Miss Tomlinson said her grandchildren had also been left distraught by the loss of the horse.

“Both my grandchildren have been very upset. My grandson has been crying his eyes out saying that they’ve taken his horse away,” she said.

A Bradford Council spokesman said: “We work with the police, Incommunities and the RSPCA to deal with horses tethered on Council land.

“We employ a contractor to manage the issue on our behalf, which includes the occasional impoundment of horses where necessary. Any welfare concerns are passed on to the RSPCA.”