A DEAD horse left on a Winwick street is a 'despicable' sight according to one driver who encountered it.

It is unclear how the horse’s body came to be on Waterworks Lane, off Myddleton Lane.

One driver who went past the horse that morning called the sight ‘despicable’.

The horse’s body did not cause any obstruction to traffic, a police spokesman said.

Warrington Borough Council’s street scene services removed the body in the early afternoon and disposed of it legally.

Defra, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs states on its website that there have been reports of increased dumping of dead horses since a ban on burial came into force.

Horses’ bodies must be disposed of at approved premises like knacker yards.