A family from Sevenoaks has been banned from keeping horses after they left sick animals in the same field as a rotting carcass and poisonous ragwort.

Harry Dunn, Tommy Tucker Dunn, Matthew Dunn and family Christine Chambers were found guilty of offences under the Animal Welfare Act, following a two-day trial at Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court.

The four neglected seven horses, including three foals kept at a field near the family home in South Ash Road.

Warning: Graphic image below

Inspectors found a Shetland pony and her foal who were very thin and riddled with worms, a thin skewbald pony who was also suffering from a worm burden, two foals who were suffering from an untreated respiratory condition, a very thin mare and a colt who had very poor hooves.

All of the horses were kept in a field that had a high amount of a poisonous plant known as ragwort.

The horses were taken by police in February 2016, following several months of work from the RSPCA, British Horse Society (BHS), Redwings Horse Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare.

Teams from Kent County Council and Kent Police were also on hand to investigate the welfare of the horses in the area, and a further 29 horses were removed as no owners claimed them and there were serious welfare concerns for them. These horses were taken in by the RSPCA, with four transferred to World Horse Welfare for care.

Harry Dunn, 66 of South Ash Road in Sevenoaks, was found guilty of two offences of causing unnecessary suffering and one offence of keeping animals in an unsuitable environment. He was banned from keeping horses for one year and ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge, £400 costs and £550 fine.

His son Matthew Dunn, 27, was also found guilty of two offences of causing unnecessary suffering and two section 9 offences relating to the unsuitable environment the horses were kept in. He was banned from keeping horses for two years and ordered to pay a £40 victim surcharge, £400 costs and £400 fine.

Harry Dunn’s nephew, Tommy Dunn, 30, was found guilty of one offence of causing unnecessary suffering and one sections 9 offence. He was banned from keeping horses for two years and ordered to pay a £40 victim surcharge, £400 costs and £400 fine.

"I could see the carcass of a dead horse rotting in one part of the field and there was poisonous ragwort growing all over the place." -Deborah Pert, RSPCA inspector

Family friend Christine Chambers, 50 of Porchester Close, Hartley was found guilty of one offence of causing unnecessary suffering and two welfare offences related to the conditions the horses were kept in. She was banned from keeping horses for two years and ordered to pay a £40 victim surcharge, £400 costs and £400 fine.

All four defendants have been ordered to relinquish ownership of all their horses in line with their disqualification orders.

Deborah Pert, RSPCA inspector said: “It’s shocking to think that between the Dunn family and Chambers, none of them provided adequate care for their horses. There were a lot of horses being kept at the site, and I was shocked at the conditions not only of the field which was atrocious, but the horses themselves, they were in a terrible state.

"I could see the carcass of a dead horse rotting in one part of the field and there was poisonous ragwort growing all over the place. It was a completely unacceptable way to keep horses.”

Claire Phillips of World Horse Welfare Glenda Spooner Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre, said: “When the four ponies came into our care, it was clear that none of them had been receiving the care they needed by their previous owners. All of the ponies were underweight, covered in muck and filth, and suffering from overgrown feet."

The RSPCA is desperately looking for new homes for the horses it rescues. With more than 600 currently in its care. Visit www.rspca.org.uk/findapet to find out more.