A YORK woman was stunned when her garden was invaded by four large horses.

Sheila Bell returned to her home in Coniston Close, Rawcliffe, yesterday afternoon to find the horses in her garden.

She contacted the police as she was worried the animals might wander on to the nearby Shipton Road (part of the A19) and cause a serious accident.

She said: "They have been wandering around the street, which is dangerous. "I just hope someone comes to collect them before anyone gets hurt or they cause too much damage to my garden."

A police spokeswoman said they had received several calls from worried residents who had seen the horses walking among the traffic.

Sgt Colin Ventress, of York Police, said that when a policeman arrived on the scene at 6pm the loose horses had already been caught.

He said: "They have been tethered up on wasteland by a traveller."

Mrs Bell said this morning that the horses had left her garden and wandered into the nearby allotments shortly before the police arrived.

She said: "According to the neighbours these horses have been running loose for days. I just hope I've seen the last of them."

Updated: 10:48 Friday, April 11, 2003