Staff at an equestrian centre and equine vet practice have been left “on edge” and liveries “devastated” after “potentially fatal” drugs and £20,000 of tack was stolen.
Lower House Equine Clinic, based at Radfords Equestrian Centre in Llanymynech, Shropshire, was broken into during the early hours of Saturday morning (3 August). Drugs including ketamine and morphine were among those stolen from the practice’s pharmacy while tack including 20 saddles, bridles, bits and numnahs were taken from the equestrian centre’s tack room.
Lower House Equine Clinic partner Cassie Woods told H&H she believes it was a targeted attack.
“The owner of the farm, Jonathan Redford, caught three men trying to steal his flat-bed trailer around 5am and they ran off across a field. Our take is it was a group of individuals specifically targeting equine-related items that they can sell easily,” said Ms Woods.
“The main concern is how dangerous the drugs are in the wrong hands.”
Ms Woods said the staff at the practice have been left feeling “on edge” and going forward they will work in pairs.
“Sometimes we have to do late night checks and often that might just be one person checking hay and water, but now there must be two people at all times. We are a small team and that’s going to mean extra working hours to make sure our staff are safe,” she said.
“It’s also really affected the girls who have horses at the yard – most of them are normal working girls and their saddles are significant to them. It’s left them devastated and unable to ride their horses.”
A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: “Among the items taken were vials of ketamine (brand name of Ketamador), diazepam, morphine, somulose, atropine and adrenaline.”
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Inspector Nigel Morgan added: “We are urging members of the public to be vigilant following the burglary this morning. The items that were taken are intended for livestock only and could potentially be fatal if consumed by humans.
“Our local safer neighbourhood team will be patrolling in the area, but we would advise anyone who comes across the vials or any boxes of medication to hand them in to their local police station immediately where they can safely be destroyed.”
The police have asked anyone with information to contact 101 quoting incident 158S of 3 August.
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