AN animal charity has again defended the way staff dealt with a complaint about a horse on Deeside.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was first alerted to the condition of the horse on April 17 after it was caught on video rearing up onto its back legs before collapsing on The Range car park in Queensferry.

A day later an independent vet, called by the RSPCA to assess the animal, decided there were ‘no signs of neglect’ to the horse and it was returned to its owner.

The decision did not go down well in the community and between 50 and 100 people staged a ‘peaceful’ protest in Queensferry at 11pm on Friday,

Cllr David Wisinger, who represents Queensferry ward on Flintshire Council, said: “The RSPCA should have acted quicker than they did.

“They should have had a good look at the horse and dealt with it appropriately a lot quicker.

“But they don’t seem to react very quickly to a lot of things and that’s what is annoying a lot of people.”

He added: “The welfare of the horse is most important and I hope things turn out alright for it.”

An RSPCA spokesman said: “We have been looking into concerns about the Queensferry horse for several days.

“Our officers have visited several times and have also taken independent vets to assess the pony.

“We are unable to give any further details about this incident for legal reasons.

“That doesn’t mean we are ignoring the situation and we can assure you we take all allegations of cruelty or neglect seriously.”

The spokesman added: “The RSPCA has no more powers than members of the public to remove animals and we have to work within the law at all times.

“An animal can only be legally removed from an owner when they have been seized by police.”