Footage shows escaped horses galloping through streets of a Sussex town centre

A pair of horses made a dramatic bid for freedom after bucking their riders and galloping through the streets of a Sussex town yesterday (May 6).
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The adventurous steeds had been part of a group being ridden along the beach in Lancing in West Sussex when, for reasons currently unknown, they decided to throw their riders and head west to pastures new.

Sussex Police said officers were called shortly before 6pm to reports of the the horses running along Worthing seafront, past Splashpoint leisure centre towards the town centre.

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Footage then shows the pair galloping along a deserted Warwick Street towards the Montague Quarter.

One horse makes its escape. Pic: Kieran Cleeve PhotgraphyOne horse makes its escape. Pic: Kieran Cleeve Photgraphy
One horse makes its escape. Pic: Kieran Cleeve Photgraphy

Worthing's Lindsey Pearce was passing the horses in her car next to Brooklands Park, when she said she saw them galloping across the beach and clearly out of control.

After gaining experience among horses from her childhood, she turned the car around and gave chase, driving behind the galloping horses with her hazard lights on.

"I followed them and they were going onto the path, coming up behind cyclists and warlkers who had no idea they were there," said Lindsey, who was accompanied by taxi driver Trevor Goss who followed behind.

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"I was just waiting for someone to be smashed by those horses, but I couldn't beep my horn to warn them or I would frighten the horses even more."

They were finally stopped in a car park. Pic: Kieran Cleeve PhotographyThey were finally stopped in a car park. Pic: Kieran Cleeve Photography
They were finally stopped in a car park. Pic: Kieran Cleeve Photography

Lindsey briefly lost the horses as they headed up the pedestrianised Warwick Street so, aided by her six-year-old son who was in the car, she drove parallel and followed the crowds of shocked pedestrians until she picked up the trail again in Shelley Road.

The whole time she was updating the police on hands-free, she said.

From Shelley Road, the pair made their way along Heene Road and eventually onto Tarring Road, where they drifted towards the level crossing in another heart-in-mouth moment.

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Luckily the tiring mounts took refuge in the car park of West Worthing Social Club in Elm Grove, allowing Lindsey and Trevor - who had been following since Brooklands Park - to block the entrance and hem them in.

They managed to calm the horses down and walk them around until they relaxed and police arrived around five minutes later.

Shortly after the distraught owners arrived, having been left in the wake of their only modes of transport.

Lindsey said one of the horses appeared to have been clipped by a car, but both were relatively unscathed in a situation that could have been much worse at several points during the 20-minute pursuit.

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"I was just waiting for it all to go horribly wrong, I knew how much damage they could cause," she said.

"I found it really stressful only being to follow and watch, but my son found it very exciting, shouting to me when he saw them after we'd lost them.

"It could certainly have turned out a lot worse."

With no trailer to hand, the horses were led back through town by their relieved owners. See pictures of the drama here: Worthing’s wild horses: Pictures show riders thrown from their mounts and rescue effort