A farmer from Wilburton said he was left with no choice but to bury a dead horse which was callously dumped on his neighbour’s land after council officials refused to come and collect it.

Ben Furness said the animal, a gelding piebald, was thrown from the back of van by a gang of men into a field, in Twenty Pence Road, last Wednesday.

The act was witnessed by a friend of Mr Furness but the men drove away before he could record details of their number plate.

Mr Furness said he contacted both the RSPCA and East Cambridgeshire District Council about the incident but was told that, because the animal was on private land, he would have to deal with it himself.

He said: “The council really ought to come and pick it up but because it’s on private land, they said there was nothing they could do. I really don’t want to be dealing with it but I haven’t got any other choice.

“It’s the first one that has been dumped on this land but I’ve heard of four other incidents in the area recently.

“It was dumped alongside a bridleway and it’s not a nice thing for people to see.”

A spokesman for East Cambridgeshire District Council said: “Our clean neighbourhood enforcement officer met the landowner on site where the dead horse had been left.

“The officer explained how as the animal had been left on private property it was unfortunately the landowner’s responsibility to remove the horse and that he should speak to RSPCA to decide on the best way of disposing of the body.

“This is the fourth time a dead horse has been dumped on land within the district in the last year. If anyone has any information which could help us to track down those responsible please get in touch via 01353 665555.”