EIGHT horses today sparked a police alert when they were found roaming on a York street.

The team of horses, including two young foals, was found on the loose at Crichton Avenue Bridge at about 6am, and reported to York police.

Officers contacted John Denning, owner of the nearby Denning Skip Hire compound, at about 6.30am.

Mr Denning arrived to find part of his compound taped off by police officers to keep the horses, and motorists, safe. He and his staff helped to tether the horses to a nearby fence.

Mr Denning said: "I took them away from the road, and down on to some scrub land, because I thought they would be safer there than they would be near the road.

"I care about animals and I just hoped someone would come for them."

A group of travellers arrived at about 9am to take the horses away, but offered no comment.

A police spokesman said: "In cases like this, our priority is always to find the owners. "Horses are a valuable commodity for the travelling community, and they care about them.

"If the problem had been prolonged we would have looked at contacting the council."

Updated: 16:16 Tuesday, July 03, 2001