A pony wandered into Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital and walked through the corridors after escaping from a nearby field.
Staff and patients were left astonished when the black-coated animal, named Beauty, was discovered inside the hospital yesterday afternoon.
Police managed to coax the pony into a courtyard with apples before officers from the RSPCA were summoned to the hospital in Apley.
Eyewitness Lorna Rutter, of Little Dawley, Telford, said: “I was entering the hospital via the day unit entrance and was going for an X-ray with my husband and there was this horse on the grass by the car park.
“A security guard and another man were in pursuit of the horse and they looked like they had got it under control.
“Everyone was watching.”
She added: “I went up the corridor to the X-ray department and about 20 minutes later I came out and my husband said a porter had said a horse had just been down the corridor.”
Marlene Harris, the pony’s owner, of Wellington, said: “Police said he had come through a little gap in the field and then went straight into the hospital through the doors and through another set of doors.
“They got him out with apples.”
Yesterday she helped to return the animal back to its field with RSPCA inspector Dave McCartney and two police officers, before it was taken to a livery until the field could be secured.
Constable Paul Chadwick, of West Mercia Police, said officers were initially alerted at about 2.30pm and added: “We then got a call from the hospital at 3.10pm to say the horse had got inside the building.
“It was moved into the garden of the hospital because people were getting quite stressed.”
Judith Haw, spokeswoman for the RSPCA, said the pony had escaped from a field near to the hospital.
She added: “The pony was contained and the owner was at the scene.
“Our inspector advised the owner that the field, fencing and stabling were not secure and so she would have to put the pony into livery until the field could be secured and she agreed.”
A spokesman for The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust said: “A horse entered the grounds of the Princess Royal Hospital at about 2.30pm.
“It was quickly moved into a secure area and the RSPCA was informed.”
See Also:
18 Comments
Probably just wanted to say ‘neigh’ to the proposed move of facilities to Shrewsbury…
Report abuse
will it do it again, or is it a one trick pony?
Report abuse
It had probably heard the rumour about the place being sold off and used as a vetinary clinic…..
Report abuse
Oh well if it had wondered in to the office’s it would have bumped in to a load of ass’es
Report abuse
Princess Royal Horse-pital?
Report abuse
Hilarious! Let’s hope that the pony suffered no harm during his or her adventure.
Loved the comment Peter, made my wife smile.
Report abuse
I think you will find it was the quick thinking staff who caught the foal and made sure it was safe well b4 the police arrived!!
Report abuse
I hear he is now in a stable condition….
Report abuse
Maybe it was feeling a little hoarse?
Report abuse
Perhaps he was looking for Hay and Eeee?
Report abuse
What kind of Horsepital is this?!
Report abuse
Why the long face? asked the nurse.
Report abuse
This is no laughing matter!
I want to know was it charged £2 for parking it’t ‘trap’ in the car park, or is it one rule for ponies and a different rule for the rest of us?
Report abuse
L M A O
Laughing My Ass Off!!!
OK OK I’ll get me coat!
Report abuse
Best news article… In a long time! Gets my vote for best of the year..
Report abuse
I wonder if it was given a bed, or was asked to lie on a trolley before being seen
Report abuse
That’s enough with the pony jokes.
I can take neigh more.
Andrew Owen
shropshirestar.com
Report abuse
Well I think you were all v. funny – made me giggle!
Report abuse