AFTER a hectic day policing the aftermath of an Old Firm game, Strathclyde Police's mounted officers return their trusted steeds to the force's stables for some well-earned rest.
But the horses' peace will within weeks be shattered when building work begins on the £660 million extension of the M74 motorway.
The stables are within striking distance of the centre of Glasgow and the city's three main football grounds. Howe
ver, the site, which has been home to the force's police horses since the 1970s, is also within yards of the new M74 route, forcing Strathclyde Police to search for a new home for its 25 heavy horses.
Animal experts have warned the police that the noise and dust from the M74 extension will unsettle the horses and could damage their health.
It is a headache that is likely to cost Scotland's biggest police force several hundred thousand pounds, the cost of building a new equestrian centre.
Superintendent Stewart Borthwick, head of the force's support services, said he had hoped the move would be temporary until they discovered the full impact the new motorway would have on the horses.
He said: "We knew we would have to move for three years during the construction phase because of all the noise from the heavy plant.
"But, having looked at the bigger picture, we have decided to make it a permanent move.
"We took expert advice from a leading equestrian vet, who shared our concerns about the health of the horses.
"The noise and disturbance on the road would interfere with the ability of the horses to get proper rest."
Mr Borthwick said the vet had said dust from the construction phase would be particularly damaging to the horses.
He added: "The road will run only a few metres from the corner of the stables." And he said the mounted branch would have to find a new home as early as next month, when construction work was expected to begin.
"We may have to lease somewhere for a while as we don't want to be bounced into finding a new permanent base," he told The Scotsman.
With Scotland's police under growing pressure to save money and put more officers on the street, the need to relocate the horses has given senior officers a problem.
But Supt Borthwick said they were keen to invest in improved facilities for the horses and riders. Currently, the horses have to be transported to another equestrian centre across the city to be exercised, and Supt Borthwick hopes the new base can incorporate its own training facilities.
"We would like to take the opportunity to improve facilities, but we have to be mindful of the public purse," he said.
The question of who pays for the new centre has yet to be resolved.
"We are engaged in dialogue with the city council and Scottish Government at the moment," he said.
One of the force's mounted branch officers, Sergeant Lesley Winchester, said: "It's an exciting time. It will be good for the horses if we can get new facilities."
BACKGROUND
IT LOOKS like one of the most stressful jobs in policing, but Strathclyde's police horses take it all in their stride.
There are 25 horses in the force's mounted branch, all bought from specialist dealers after completing an assessment to see how they would handle the rough and tumble of keeping order in Scotland's biggest city.
The horses are all heavy hunters, mostly with Irish Draft blood in them – a breed known for their calm temperament. A few are Clydesdales.
"We wouldn't want our officers running around on Arabs," says Superintendent Stewart Borthwick.
"Our horses are large and imposing, which helps with their public order duties."
To make sure they have the cool head necessary to do the job, all the horses are put through a four-week assessment course before the force buys them.
The horses are all named after places in the police force area, the oldest being 22-year-old "Balloch".
The full article contains 676 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
