Latest news with #AnnaMerritt
Telegraph
04-08-2025
- Telegraph
Stolen New Forest ponies found 75 miles away in London
Two Shetland ponies, stolen from the New Forest, have been found in London – 75 miles away from their farm. James Penny, a breeder of Shetland ponies, claimed that 'travellers' were behind the theft, and said the ponies had been 'shaved' in an attempt to remove his ownership brand. The farmer had six of his ponies stolen last month, and recovered two of the animals after a nationwide social media search led to a tip-off that they were wandering near the M25, in Hillingdon, London. A 14-year-old mare and her three-year-old filly were found almost 75 miles away from the farm in the north-west London borough. Mr Penny said he witnessed travellers handling his Shetlands at his farm in the New Forest two weeks ago. He said he spoke with them, and that 24 hours later, when rounding the ponies up, he realised six were missing. Mr Penny said that the ponies were 'traumatised' when he was reunited with them, claiming that the thieves had ' not been very nice to them '. Mr Penny said: 'The two were found on the roads, they weren't far from the M25, I dread to think what could have happened.' He added that the ponies looked 'starved' and the thieves had shaved one of them, he alleges, to get rid of the 'brand' that marks the ponies as belonging to him. Mr Penny's neighbours, Leesa Merritt and her daughter, Anna, led the search for the ponies through social media. Speaking at the time of the rescue, Mr Penny said: 'One of them was in a stable by the time we got up there; people had caught her. 'But the other went running away, she went through a garden and into a maize field. 'There was half a dozen of us, and it took us two and a half hours or more.' He said the two ponies are 'happy now' back at home, but that the rescue mission is not over, as there are still four ponies missing. Mr Penny is a New Forest Commoner, which means he has certain legal rights to graze livestock on the ancient forest land. Ponies, cattle and donkeys can be put to pasture under the rights, and pigs can be turned out to feed during the pannage season, which takes place in autumn. Over the centuries, numerous acts of parliament have been passed, alongside royal statutes, to affirm the rights of the community to graze their livestock on the land. Residents are now pushing for formal recognition as a cultural minority, with some lobbying the government for the legal status of national minority, which would grant them the same protections as the Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish and Cornish. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary have been contacted by the Telegraph.
Daily Mail
03-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Hunt for crooks who stole six free-roaming Shetland ponies from national park
A desperate search is under way for six beloved Shetland ponies snatched from a beauty spot in the New Forest. The miniature ponies, which are all under 34 inches tall when fully grown, were stolen from common grazing land around the idyllic villages of Bramshaw and Cadnam between July 20 and 22. Their theft has sent shockwaves through the close-knit local community, with residents now rallying to help track down the animals which are hugely popular with walkers and visitors to the area. The picturesque New Forest National Park, famed for its free-roaming animals, is home to donkeys, pigs, cattle, and ponies - all owned by local commoners who graze their animals across the ancient woodlands and open heaths. Anna Merritt, a neighbour of the ponies' owner, has launched a heartfelt social media campaign to bring them home. She said: 'The locals really do look out for the ponies when they are out walking or riding. People love coming to see them, they'll be hugely missed, especially as such a large number of them were stolen.' Each of the ponies is branded with the initials 'TP' - a mark approved by the historic Verderers' Court, which oversees the welfare of animals in the New Forest. No females bearing this brand are ever sold, making any suspicious sightings or sales easier to spot. Police fear the pint-sized ponies, which are especially easy to transport due to their small stature, may already have been moved out of the county. A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police said: 'We received a report that five Shetland ponies were believed to have been stolen from an address on Cadnam Lane between July 20 and 22. Another has since been reported missing.' David Collings, of Hampshire Horse Watch, told the BBC: 'Horse theft is very rare. Where it does happen it does have a great impact on the owners and other members of the community.' The crime follows a stark warning from rural crime officers just weeks earlier, after a spate of break-ins at local stables and farms. Police had received reports of balaclava-clad gangs using drones to scope out rural properties at night, often with a view to stealing machinery, trailers or valuable animals. An alert shared by Hampshire Horse Watch said: 'Over the last week we have seen horse studs and liveries being targeted. 'The reports suggest three people in balaclavas with cutting machinery are targeting outbuildings … We think they are looking for gardening machinery, quad bikes or other high-value items like trailers.' It added: 'Another thing to be thinking about is the criminal use of drones. We have had a report recently when a drone was flying over a farm at 1am and we think this was being used to see what was on the farm.' Anyone with information about the missing ponies, or who spots miniature Shetlands with the TP brand being offered for sale, is urged to contact Hampshire Police immediately.
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Yahoo
Two missing Shetland ponies found after UK-wide search
Two of six Shetland ponies that went missing from a national park have been reunited with their owner after being found by a member of the public. The free-roaming animals disappeared from land around Bramshaw and Cadnam in the New Forest, Hampshire, in July, sparking a UK-wide search. Owner James Penny went to collect the pair on Saturday, after they were spotted running down a narrow country lane in a rural area of a London borough. He said he was "happy" to have them back, adding: "We've just got to find the others." Hampshire police previously said the six animals were believed to have been stolen from an address on Cadnam Lane between 20 and 22 July. Mr Penny's neighbour Anna Merritt mounted a social media campaign after their disappearance. On Saturday, her mother, Lisa Merritt, and another neighbour went with Mr Penny to collect the two ponies, who are a mother and daughter. The other four are still missing. Lisa said the retrieval of the two "terrified" ponies had been "fraught and emotional", with one taking about three hours to catch. "We just want to get her back and get her comfortable again," she said. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has been contacted by the BBC. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. More on this story National search for six stolen Shetland ponies
BBC News
02-08-2025
- BBC News
Two missing New Forest Shetland ponies found ater UK-wide search
Two of six Shetland ponies that went missing from a national park have been reunited with their owner after being found by a member of the free-roaming animals disappeared from land around Bramshaw and Cadnam in the New Forest, Hampshire, in July, sparking a UK-wide James Penny went to collect the pair on Saturday, after they were spotted running down a narrow country lane in a rural area of a London said he was "happy" to have them back, adding: "We've just got to find the others." Hampshire police previously said the six animals were believed to have been stolen from an address on Cadnam Lane between 20 and 22 Penny's neighbour Anna Merritt mounted a social media campaign after their Saturday, her mother, Lisa Merritt, and another neighbour went with Mr Penny to collect the two ponies, who are a mother and other four are still said the retrieval of the two "terrified" ponies had been "fraught and emotional", with one taking about three hours to catch."We just want to get her back and get her comfortable again," she and Isle of Wight Constabulary has been contacted by the BBC. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
31-07-2025
- BBC News
National hunt for six stolen Shetland New Forest ponies
A UK-wide search has been launched after six Shetland ponies went missing from a national free-roaming animals disappeared from land around Bramshaw and Cadnam in the New Forest, Hampshire, earlier this Merritt, a neighbour of the owner, who mounted a social media campaign to find the herd, said they were "hugely missed".Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said the ponies were believed to have been stolen from an address on Cadnam Lane between 20 and 22 July. The diminutive ponies are all aged between two and three years and have the letters TP branded on their backsMs Merritt said she had received a "huge amount of information" from horse-owners around the country following her appeals on social media."The locals really do look out for the ponies when they are out walking or riding their ponies," she said."People love coming to see them, they'll be hugely missed, especially as its such a large number of them were stolen."She said it was suspected they were being held in a field somewhere outside the area, before being moved on. The New Forest's National Park's free-roaming ponies, pigs, donkeys and cattle are owned by commoners - people who own or occupy land with ancient rights family that owns the stolen Shetlands are thought to have been turning ponies out on to the forest for more than 100 Collings of Hampshire Horse Watch, which liaises between the local equine community and police, said the theft was "very disturbing" but admitted it had "no ideas" where the ponies might be."We're talking with other Horsewatch organisations around the county," he said."Horse theft is very rare, where it does happen it does have a great impact on the owners and other members of the community." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
