THE LONG-RUNNING issue of fly-grazing on St Daniels Hill in Pembroke has finally seen action, as illegally left horses have now been removed from the land. The situation had been causing significant distress to residents and road users alike.

Paul Hay, a local funeral director and landowner, announced in a post on the Pembroke Dock & Pembroke Citizens Forum group on Facebook that the horses, which had been left on his land without permission, were finally removed after a prolonged struggle.

“After considerable worry and stress, with numerous phone calls and texts from concerned motorists and residents, I am delighted to inform you that the horses have been removed from our land on St Daniels Hill in Pembroke where they have been illegally fly grazing for a considerable time!” Hay said.

Hay explained that, although some believed the land was common land, it has actually been in his family for generations, having previously belonged to his grandfather. He described the ordeal as both a challenge and a nightmare for him and his family as they attempted to go through the proper channels with the police and the council. He also called for new legislation to be pushed through Parliament to enhance the safety of both road users and the animals themselves.

Growing concerns

The seriousness of the problem was highlighted this week by a post on The Pembrokeshire Herald Facebook page. Caroline Briggs said: “My dad hit and killed an Irish coloured cob in Kilgetty. There were two loose horses on the A477 in the dark. He wrote his car off and was taken to Withybush and sustained head injuries. The police did not pursue the case. Something MUST be done about this problem.”

The ongoing issue of fly-grazing in Pembrokeshire continues to spark frustration and safety concerns among residents, with local authorities working to find a resolution.

County Councillor Jonathan Grimes (Pembroke St Mary South & Monkton) has been engaging with residents, Pembrokeshire County Council, and Dyfed-Powys Police to address the increasing problem of loose horses, particularly on St Daniels Hill. The presence of unmonitored horses poses a significant risk to road users and property owners.

One affected resident shared their experience, expressing frustration over repeated incidents involving loose horses damaging their property. “All I can say is when I looked out the window, I saw two horses running around my property and ran outside, where I saw the police. I told them that they were not mine and that it was the second time the horses had been at my property in less than 24 hours. It took the police and members of the public around 30 minutes to catch them. The road on St Daniels Hill was closed off. What happened to the horses afterwards, I couldn’t tell you, as I was trying to keep my children and dogs inside the house while the police dealt with it.”

Threats against journalist and councillor

After posting an article about this issue over the weekend, The Herald received a very nasty phone call. Editor Tom Sinclair explained: “We received a threatening phone call from a male claiming to be the owner of the horses asking us to remove our story. The call included threats of violence and intimidation. The caller was also threatening violence against Cllr Grimes for trying to help the community with this problem. We do not remove newspaper articles on threat of violence. When asked if anything was inaccurate in the article the caller couldn’t think of anything, just kept ranting. The owner needs to sort their horses out, not threaten journalists doing their job to highlight the dangers of these animals running wild.”

Authorities have assured residents that they are working on a solution to prevent further occurrences. However, questions remain as to whether enough is being done to tackle the persistent problem.

Residents affected by fly-grazing incidents are encouraged to report concerns to Pembrokeshire County Council and Dyfed-Powys Police as efforts to address the issue continue.