A horse had to be put down after it escaped from an equestrian centre, ran on to a road and was struck by a car on Monday afternoon.

Police were called to Melksham Road, in Holt, near to the West Wiltshire Equestrian Centre, at about 2pm after a visiting bay mare threw off her rider and ran through a hedge into the path of an oncoming grey Citroen C3, driven by a 49-year-old woman.

Although there was minimal damage to the car, the horse broke its hind leg after hitting the front of the car and falling onto the bonnet.

Lyndsey Rodwell, manager of the equestrian centre, said: “It was someone who was using our cross country area. The rider came off and I think the bridle came off too and the horse panicked and went through a fence.

“The owner and the rider were very, very upset and the lady driving the car was very shaken up.”

Police closed off one side of the road for 20 minutes while they waited for a vet to issue a lethal injection and move the mare off the road.

PC Nathan Beck from Trowbridge police, who was dealing with the incident, said: “The owners were very disturbed, as was everyone else who was there to be honest.

“The horse had completely snapped its leg.”