Horse owners in Ilkley, Addingham, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston are being urged to help in the battle against equestrian crime by joining a horse watch scheme.

WPC Sheila Kirkham, of Ilkley Police Station, is hoping to make horse owners more security aware and she is looking for a co-ordinator to act as a liasion between the police and Wharfedale horse owners.

Once a co-ordinator is found, the network - which will act along similar lines to neighbourhood watch -will link up with the already successful Keighley Horse Watch.

WPC Kirkham said the area was fortunate in that attacks on, or the theft of, horses or ponies was rare but that there was a large amount of tack theft from livery stables, riding stables and from private homes.

And even if stable owners made sure their properties were secure with sometimes very sophisticated security systems, burglars still managed to break in.

"We are lucky in that we don't seem to get horses interfered with or taken, but we are getting something of a hammering with tack theft and at the moment we are not getting very far in stopping it," said WPC Kirkham.

She said the problem for many people was that farms or stables where tack was stored were often very isolated.

"People are waiting for appropriate times and there are not many witnesses," she added.

Anyone interested in being a co-ordinator should telephone WPC Kirkham at Ilkley Police Station on (01943) 601060.

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