Loose horse in Darlington damages cars at Costa on Yarm Road

Customers of Costa Coffee Drive Thru, located on Yarm Road, Darlington, were stunned to see a horse attacking their vehicles after getting free from the carriage it was pulling. 

But when the individuals who had brought the horse through Costa's drive-through were confronted about the damage that it was causing, they allegedly refused to take responsibility, despite three vehicles having windows smashed and paintwork scratched.

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Mike Whitaker, of Darlington, whose car was damaged, told The Northern Echo: "I had parked my car to that I could have a relaxing coffee with a friend, only to be interrupted by a member of the Costa staff.

Customers at Costa were shocked to see a horse damaging their vehicles. Picture: Google Streetview (Image: Google Streetview)

"They told me that my car had been hit by a horse - I found it bizarre and disturbing.

"Two young men and their children had parked their horse and cart in the car park, and whilst they were in the cafe, their horse got loose and panicked, hitting three cars.

"Mine was one of the cars that it attacked, and I ended up with a smashed window, a loose wing mirror and a dent in the bodywork. All in all, it will come to between £500 and £1,000 to repair."

When Mr Whitaker approached the young men, he found them unwilling to take any responsibility for the damage caused to his vehicle. 

Mr Whitaker's car sustained around £1,000 worth of damage. Picture:Mike Whitaker (Image: Mike Whitaker)

"They refused to have any responsibility or even say sorry for the inconvenience. They laughed, were quite aggressive, and walked away from the site.

"They said that they did not own the horse, that they didn't need a licence either, and that there was really nothing that I could do. 

Mr Whitaker also raised concerns about the impact this could have on other Darlington residents: "How can people feel safe, and go out and enjoy themselves in Darlington when there is the potential for this to happen again."

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"And what about the children that were with the horse? Their safety was at risk too."

Two other individuals had their vehicles damaged during the chaos, too - with Mr Whitaker advising us one was a Costa customer, and the other was a member of staff. 

The Northern Echo has approached Durham Constabulary and Costa Coffee for comment, but as of yet, neither has issued responses. 

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