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A £3,000 reward has been offered in the hunt for the killer of a horse found mutilated in a field in Nottinghamshire.
Alfie, a 16-year-old traditional tricoloured cob, was found dead on 25 July after what police described as a “sickening, heartless” attack near Carlton-in-Lindrick, a village just north of Worksop.
The horse had been turned out into the field by its owner after being ridden and bathed, and was seen fit and well at around 7pm the previous evening.
Its mutilated body was discovered in the morning following an attack that was described as “difficult to believe” and that left Alfie’s owner distraught, police said.
Warning that “animal abusers are a danger to everyone”, animal rights charity Peta has now told The Independent it is offering a reward of up to £3,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
“It’s imperative that any community faced with a cruel and callous act such as this takes measures to find the culprit and bring them to justice,” said Peta’s vice-president Elisa Allen.
“Animal abusers are a danger to everyone. They take their issues out on whomever is available to them – humans or other animals – and must be caught before they act again.”
Nottinghamshire Police, who warned horse owners in the area to be highly vigilant in the wake of the attack late last month, expressed hope that the reward would lead to a successful conviction.
“It has been heartening to see the extent of public outrage at the mutilation and killing of Alfie in Nottinghamshire,” said the force’s rural and wildlife crime lead, Chief Inspector Clive Collings.
“Anything that can be done to maintain the publicity associated with this case, and maximise the opportunity to identify witnesses, is very welcomed, so I am grateful to Peta for providing this kind reward in the hope it will lead to the successful conviction of those responsible for Alfie’s death.”
History shows that the records of serial rapists and murderers frequently contain past incidents involving cruelty to animals, the charity said, pointing to the fact that notorious killers such as Mary Bell, Jon Venables, Ian Huntley, Raoul Moat and Fred West all started out by deliberately harming animals.
Nottinghamshire Police are urging anyone with first-hand information about the attack to contact the force on 101, quoting incident number 244 of 25 July 2024, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
