Trampling stray horses have caused tens of thousands of pounds damage to a golf course.

Derek Johnson, professional general manager at the Calverley Golf Club in Pudsey, said last year alone the rogue animals caused £10,000 damage to the 18-hole course.

He said 20 to 30 horses regularly got on to the course where it backs on to Woodhall Lane in Fagley.

They destroyed golf tees, putting greens and fairways, and have cost the club more than £75,000 in repair bills over the last ten years.

After the latest intrusion last week Eccleshill and Pudsey police carried out a dawn raid, spearheaded by Bradford Council's animal warden service, and seized six horses in Fagley.

Mr Johnson, who has worked at the club for 11 years, said he believed horses were being deliberately herded on to the course to graze.

He said: "We make our boundaries completely secure but somebody has been driving the horses back on to the course every time we carry out a repair.

"Our 13th tee has been destroyed where horses have trampled over it. We only built it two years ago. A new tee like that costs about £4,500 to make but the greens are far more expensive at around £15,000.

"The members are fed up with it. They see horses on the fairways and wonder what we are doing about it."

He said the club, which leases the land from Bradford Council, even considered putting up CCTV cameras to try to catch the culprits but the cost was too much.

Bradford Council's animal services' manager, Terry Singh, said there was a crackdown on horse owners who flouted the law and allowed their horses to stray or illegally tethered them on Council-owned land.

He said: "We are also giving advice to private land owners on what action they can take and are working together to stamp out the problem. We will carry out more raids if the problem continues."

Pudsey and Eccleshill police were involved in the raid to prevent any public order offences but could not act against the horses' intrusion on the golf course as it was a civil offence.

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