Horse dies after being hit by car in Forest of Dean as teenage rider taken to hospital

A horse has died after being hit by a car in Gloucestershire in an incident which saw its teenage rider taken to hospital.

Gloucestershire Police have issued an appeal after the incident. The force says the driver failed to stop at the scene and officers later found a car on fire in the area.

The incident happened shortly after 4pm yesterday (Monday 7 March) on Clifford's Mesne in Newent, next to The International Centre for Birds of Prey.

The rider - a 19-year-old woman - was thrown from the horse and went to hospital with injuries which are not believed to be serious.

The horse was treated by vets but its injuries meant it had to be put down.

The woman has now been discharged from hospital but police say she is extremely upset by the ordeal.

Enquiries are ongoing to identify the driver of the vehicle, which is reported to have been a silver or grey Vauxhall.

A spokesperson from Gloucestershire Police said: "It is believed the motorist, who did not stop at the scene, was a man aged in his 30s and was wearing a hi-vis at the time.

"At around 4.45pm, a short while after the collision, an abandoned vehicle was found alight nearby.

"Enquiries are ongoing to determine whether this was the vehicle involved."

Officers are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

They are especially keen to hear from anyone who may have dashcam footage of the vehicle or who saw the driver leaving the scene.

Information can be provided to police by completing the online form and quoting incident 298 of 7 March.