Police in South Buckinghamshire are being supplied with horse tack and are receiving horse handling advice as part of a special training day.

The officers, made up of neighbourhood police and community support officers, took part in the session as part of a partnership between Thames Valley Police and the Horse Trust.

The training is designed to give police officers basic handling skills and is designed to enable the police to deal safely with the animals and increase public safety.

PC Marcus Audoin, of Denham police was one of the officers who took part in the training.

He said: "The session taught us some very useful skills when it comes to horses, which would normally not have formed part of our police training.

Because we police a rural area, we often have to deal with horses that are running wild and this course has helped us understand how to handle them, minimising the risk of injury to the horses and to us."

The course lasted one hour with the Horse Trust and showed officers how to safely approach a horse, use a head collar and lead the animal to a place of safety.

Practical guidance was also given and for some of the officers it was the first time they had ever handled a horse.

After officers had completed their training they received a certificate of competence and a piece of horse tack to help control any horses they may come across.