THE owner of a stolen pet pony spoke of her devastation last night after discovering the animal’s severed head.

Trigger, a seven-year-old Shetland Pony, was last seen in his paddock in Spennymoor, County Durham, at 5.30pm last Tuesday.

His owner, Patricia Lister, launched a search for him, but he could not be found. On Wednesday afternoon Ms Lister, from Spennymoor, was walking with two family members along an old railway line towards Ferryhill when one of the group spotted an object on the ground in nearby woods.

Ms Lister said: “She said it was a horse’s head and my heart just plummeted. I hoped it was not Trigger, but then I saw the markings on the face and I felt physically sick, there was no doubt it was him.”

Police have now launched an investigation and are appealing for information.

Trigger, who was given to Ms Lister three years ago to replace her previous horse, which went blind, lived at White Moor Allotments near the Frog and Ferret pub, in Spennymoor. His head was found about a ten-minute walk away.

Ms Lister said she had no doubt that he had been stolen from the paddock, as a padlock was removed and two bolts had to be released to open his gate.

She said: “He was able to open the gate with his mouth so we added the second bolt.

“There is no way he could have got out himself, someone must have taken him.”

Ms Lister’s heartbreak was yesterday compounded when she found her male Muscovan duck had been beheaded and three other ducks were missing.

She said: “We do not know who has done this or why – we have stayed up all night trying to work it out.

“Trigger was such a lovely, placid animal. I was going to teach my great niece how to ride him.

“It is ridiculous and outrageous that someone could do this. I do not know how anyone could be so sick in the head to do that.

“If I meet the people who did this, I want to throttle them.”

Police have not found Trigger’s body and have reported the case to the RSPCA.

PC Paul Colman said: “We are carrying out extensive inquiries to find the person responsible.

“The owner is naturally extremely distressed and we would welcome contact from anyone who may have information.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 0345-60-60-365 or independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555-111.