[Judith Addison]

As a Ward Councillor I tried to get help from the RSPCA when a horse was tethered in poor conditions at the rear of Stone Bridge Lane & Catlow Hall Street, Oswaldtwistle. Several residents felt sorry for the horse and were feeding it. The RSPCA were not at all sympathetic. They said that the residents should stop feeding it as otherwise it was not possible to assess the conditions under which the horse was kept. I was later told that HAPPA, a horse charity whose nearest branch is in in Burnley, checked on the horse every few weeks. I wasn't satisfied with the response I received. One older lady who was feeding the horse was so worried about it that she could hardly sleep at night.