Gloucestershire primary school pupils meet police horse named after them

Berkeley Primary School won the naming competition so students were treated to a visit from the new recruit as well as his stablemate Teddy.  Credit: Gloucestershire Police

Primary school students in Gloucestershire got to meet a very special police recruit.

The police horse called Berkeley joined Gloucestershire Police in April and the pupils of Berkeley Primary School entered a competition to name him. 

Berkeley was originally called Moose, but the force wanted him to have a name with links to the country. All primary schools in the Stroud District were challenged by School Beat officer Hannah Coll to come up with a suitable new name.

Berkeley Primary School won the competition so students were treated to a visit from the new recruit as well as his stablemate Teddy. 

Hannah said: "The children were all so excited to be meeting both the officers and the horses.

"The Mounted Section were also kind enough to present the school with framed pictures of both Berkeley and all the other horses too. I know the headteacher was incredibly touched by this kind gesture."

Joanna Wood, equine manager with the Mounted Section, said that Berkeley was already proving popular with the public.

Berkeley visited the school that named him Credit: Gloucestershire Police

She said: "When we first got Berkeley, he was described as a BFG and they weren't wrong!

"He loves people and is like a big playful toddler – if you turn your back for a moment, he's always into something.

"He really draws a crowd and we get plenty of nice comments and smiles from the public every time we are out. He does stand out - and he knows it."