A HORSE sanctuary has been hit by vandals in a bizarre attack.

The intruders who struck at Albert’s Horse and Pony Sanctuary on South Lane in Cawthorne smashed paving slabs, ripped down fences and let the horses loose.

Trustee Mary Hepworth, her 18-year-old sister, Stacey and their mum and sanctuary founder – who is also called Mary – spent seven hours rounding them all up.

Many of the horses are old or ill.

Mary, 24, said: “I just don’t know why anyone would want to do this. It’s all just so senseless. It makes us want to relocate. These are vulnerable animals – no-one wants them – and this is the last thing they need. Some of the horses are wild and have been really difficult to round up.’’

She said when the fences between paddocks were knocked down by the vandals, sharp nails were left sticking out of the wood putting the horses at even more risk. Some ended up with cuts on their legs. The damage is expected to run into thousands of pounds.

The intruders who struck between 11pm on Wednesday and 7am on Thursday had also shoved farm machinery including tractors and balers to the bottom of one field as if they were getting ready to steal it.

Mary said staff had noticed chains taken off gates in recent days and wonders if the gang had been staking the sanctuary out ready to strike.

She added: “Stone flags outside the stables have been smashed for seemingly no reason and gates lifted off stable doors. We can’t understand at all why we’ve been targeted in this way. We don’t feel the horses are safe here anymore.’’

Anyone with information should contact officers at Penistone police station via South Yorkshire Police on 0114 220 2020 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

In Calderdale thieves stole 35 saddles from an equestrian clearance warehouse.

The thieves burgled the building in the Tentefields Industrial Park, Luddendenfoot, Halifax, on Wednesday, July 9 – but details have only just been released by the police.

The haul is worth thousands of pounds.

This was the fourth burglary at the warehouse in as many weeks.

Anyone with information should phone Halifax CID on 01422 337085 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.