Horse box, used by vet to treat highly contagious infection, stolen from Derbyshire village

By Wiktoria Wrzyszcz
Published 3rd Apr 2023, 15:27 BST
Updated 3rd Apr 2023, 15:28 BST
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Police are appealing for help to find a stolen horse box, used by a vet to treat a highly contagious infection.

The horse box was stolen in the early hours of Saturday, April 1 from Killamarsh in North East Derbyshire.

This trailer has been used by a vet in the last few days to treat and take samples for a horse infection called Strangles.

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Strangles is an infection caused by bacteria called Streptococcus equi and it is highly contagious to horses. The infection can be spread by horse-to-horse contact or by humans, tack, drinking troughs and other environmental factors, like a trailer.

The horse box was stolen in the early hours of Saturday, April 1 from Killamarsh in North East Derbyshire.The horse box was stolen in the early hours of Saturday, April 1 from Killamarsh in North East Derbyshire.
The horse box was stolen in the early hours of Saturday, April 1 from Killamarsh in North East Derbyshire.

At the time of it being taken, the trailer had not been disinfected and any horse that is put in this trailer will become infected.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Rural Crime Team said: “Let's make it too hot to handle and if anyone knows of its whereabouts please contact the Rural Crime team. Please share far and wide.”

Anyone who sees the horse trailer is asked to contact the rural crime team via email at [email protected] or call 101.