A DRAMATIC police chase took place on the A49 between Tarporley and Acton Bridge on Friday - however it wasn't criminals the officers were chasing but five fugitive horses.

Police cars, with their lights flashing, followed the runaway horses but the animals failed to give themselves up and the chase continued until they eventually stopped of their own free will at the Riverside Inn.

Adam Clarke, 17, of Queensgate, Castle, was travelling to see his girlfriend in Delamere Park when he had to brake suddenly as one of the horses hurdled his car.

He said: "I could have been killed because they are big animals and it could have landed on the windscreen.

"A yellow van in front of me braked hard so I had to stop suddenly.

"A horse then bolted in between the vehicles and jumped over my car.

"It has caused a lot of damage to the bonnet and has broken the wing mirror."

The horses left a trail of destruction as they ran along the A49 with a number of vehicles damaged.

The horses eventually 'gave themselves up' at around 7pm at the Riverside Inn.

Hayley Rogerson, a member of staff at the pub, said: "They just arrived in the car park and for some reason calmed down and were caught.

"I'm not sure where they came from but we were in the middle of a power cut so I suppose that could have had something to do with their escape."

The horses were not connected to Sandy Lane Equestrian Centre in Weaverham.

Police are still investigating the incident.

A spokesman said: "We took lots of calls on this. At one point they were going full speed down the A49.

"They were eventually taken off the road at 7.15pm and put on private land before the owners came to collect them."

phennessey@guardiangrp.co.uk