Welcome return for four-legged football friends

We’re pleased to have welcomed back some four-legged friends to help us police football fixtures this season. We’ve used specially-trained police horses to assist at a number of games for the first time in more than 20 years.

They’ve proven popular recruits with supporters – who have been able to pose for pictures – at home matches for the likes of Aston Villa and Coventry. We’ve been grateful to other police forces for jumping in to help, with loan signings coming in from the likes of Thames Valley and Gloucestershire Constabulary. Some of the benefits of horses is they offer a height advantage so mounted officers can see over a crowd and they can move between pockets of people.

It also helps us to spread our policing resources appropriately while ensuring fans can enjoy games safely.

We’re glad the fans have enjoyed the interaction with the horses and we look forward to seeing more of them in the new year.