NEW laws to clamp down on people illegally abandoning horses come into force today - and have been welcomed in Bradford.

The Control of Horses Act 2015 makes changes to the law to deter people from illegally grazing or simply abandoning horses on public and private land.

As many as 500 horses are thought to be illegally 'fly-grazing' in Yorkshire and more than 3,000 across the country.

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The changes mean horse owners who fly-graze their animals without permission can now be dealt with more quickly and effectively.

Councillor Debbie Davies (Con, Baildon), who supports the World Horse Welfare charity, welcomed the change in the law.

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"I hope it will make a difference," said Cllr Davies. "It should give more powers to local authorities and the police. I definitely welcome it.

"It is a pretty big problem in Bradford district. There is a lot of money spent on it, lots of people spend time on it, and there are lots of animal welfare issues.

"It does not seem to be going away, so it is definitely a step in the right direction."

Councillor Alan Wainwright (Lab, Tong) lives in Holme Wood, an area historically blighted with stray horses.

He welcomed the new legislation and also said a lot of work had already been done to combat Tong ward's problems with stray horses.

"We have had a massive clampdown in Tong ward over the last two years," said Cllr Wainwright. "At its peak two years ago we counted 117 horses. There's about half a dozen at the moment.

"It's a good law to bring in and could help eradicate the problem from Bradford. We need a lot more laws like that."

He added: "If you buy a budgie, you buy it a cage. If you buy a horse, you need grazing facilities."

Under the previous Animals Act 1971 an abandoned horse could only be disposed of after 14 days through sale at market or public auction. The new Act means fly-grazing horses have to be reported to police within 24 hours, and owners now have four days to claim their animals.

The new law extends the options for dealing with abandoned horses, which now includes private sale, gifting, and rehoming.

Minister George Eustice said: "These changes to the law will give rural communities greater powers to deal with thousands of horses that are left to graze illegally without the landowners' permission.

"Horses that are left to fly-graze can now be rehomed much more quickly and effectively, improving the welfare of these animals and preventing disruption to communities.

"By allowing abandoned horses to be rehomed much more quickly, this act will encourage owners to pay proper attention to their animal's welfare and ensure communities are no longer blighted by the illegal practice of fly-grazing."