Three Shetland ponies stolen from Basildon Zoo have been recovered by a horse owners' anti-crime group.
Thurrock Horsewatch - the equine equivalent of Neighbourhood Watch - spotted the stolen ponies thanks to photographs distributed on a countywide network.
Rita May, the co-ordinator of the group, runs a livery business at Aveley. She said: "The three ponies kept wandering into stables run by one of our members.
"When I heard about them, I contacted Essex Horsewatch for photos of the ponies stolen from Basildon Zoo and they matched up.
"It just goes to show how effective Horsewatch groups can be."
Published Tuesday, May 20, 2003
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