Horses were left abandoned in a pub car park without food or water after the police arrested the driver of a van carrying them.

The driver was stopped on the A20 near Charing after midnight last night following concerns that he was under the influence of alcohol behind the wheel of the van.

Police arranged for the family of the driver to look after the horses, but the van was then left parked in the car park of The Swan pub in the village overnight.

Then this morning, pub landlady Christine Vaughan found the horses had been left overnight in the cramped trailers.

She said: “It’s unbelievable that they have been left like this without food or water. They’ve been dumped in my car park last night after midnight.

“The police didn’t inform me of what was going on or tell us that they have been put there. I was told not to feed them or give them water as it means I could be held responsible if something happens to them.

“It’s just disgusting, they are lovely horses just standing there in their own dirt. Some of the harnesses look really tight, it’s just dreadful.”

She added that the horses belonged to a traveller family, and that they told her they had needed to be given the keys to pick up the van and move the horses from the police.

A Kent Police spokesman confirmed a 33-year-old man had been arrested and bailed on suspicion of drink driving, and said a call had been received this morning about concern for the welfare of the horses.

The driver's family made arrangements to collect the keys from officers at Maidstone Police Station, and the van moved on shortly after 1pm.