Residents and commuters were surprised this morning when they spotted three horses roaming through Darlington. 

The horses - one black, one brown, and one with white spots - were seen in the Brinkburn Road area of the town. 

Members of the public contacted the police to alert them of the stray animals, but a member of the public managed to secure the horses, and they are set to be collected by their owner soon. 

A spokesperson for Durham Police said: "We were alerted at 6am today to three loose horses in the Brinkburn Road area of Darlington.

"A member of the public managed to secure the horses and they will be collected by their owner."