A horse had to be freed after it was found tied to a post by its tail.

It was found just before 3pm on Sunday behind the Metropolitan Police training centre, near the Thames Estuary in Gravesend.

A passerby saw the animal stood still with its tail knotted around a concrete post while other horses walked freely.

The man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "I called the RSPCA who were very busy and couldn’t say how long they’d be. It took me 40 minutes to free the horse’s tail.

"The horse walked away unharmed but obviously distressed. If anyone witnessed or has any information, they should contact the RSPCA."

RSPCA spokesman Nicola Walker said: "We received a call reporting that a horse had become entangled by their tail to a pole and an officer was tasked to attend.

“We received a further call an hour later to report that the horse had been freed by a member of the public and that the horse was active, moving around and did not appear to have any damage.

“We are grateful to the member of the public for helping this horse. The RSPCA receives more than a million calls every year and have a team of 315 dedicated frontline officers covering England and Wales.

"We try to get to animals in need as quickly as possible but in busy times the nearest available officer can be a two-hour drive away."

Read more: All the latest news from Gravesend