A CHAIN around the neck of a tethered horse had cut so deeply into the animal that flesh had begun to grow round it, a court heard yesterday.

When RSPCA inspector Garry Palmer arrived at Thomas Mallows' allotment he was confronted with the sickening sight.

Kevin Campbell, prosecuting for the RSPCA, described the scene at the allotment, near Mallows' home in Craghead, Stanley, to Derwentside magistrates. He said: "The inspector found the horse tethered to a chain which was tied to a stake in the ground.

"The horse was very agitated and he noticed dried blood and pus around the neck, and he could see the chain was embedded into the flesh."

The distressed animal was taken to the RSPCA centre at Walridge, near Durham, where veterinary surgeons struggled to remove the thick chain from the horse's neck.

Mr Campbell said: "They were unable to remove the chain because flesh had started to grow round it in places. They had to cut away a piece of tissue that had grown through one of the links."

Mallows, 58, of South View, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a horse between May 14 and 28 this year, and was banned from keeping livestock for 10 years.

Defending himself, Mallows told the court that he left the animal in his daughter's charge while he went into hospital suffering from diabetes.

He said: "As far as I knew, somebody was looking after the horse. I never knew it was as bad as that."

He was fined £100 with £200 court costs, but was allowed to keep his pet dog, pigeons and chickens. Two other horses he kept are to be transferred to new owners.

Speaking after the case, Insp Palmer said: "This is the worst horse tethering injury I have ever seen. It was very close to the spinal cord.

"This shows what can happen when a horse is tethered and neglected. It is a good result for the RSPCA and animal welfare in general."

l The region's poor record on animal cruelty prompted The Northern Echo to launch its Animal Watch campaign earlier this year. The campaign exists to highlight cases of cruelty and hopes to educate all animal owners in better pet care